


Discoveries in Green

by orphan_account



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Angst, Caretaking, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Illnesses, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-07-26 08:20:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 57,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7567003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life churns on in the city where anyone can be anything. Not everyone agrees with the way things have turned out. An organization strikes at the heart of the city, in a attack that no one sees. Treachery, angst, fluff and (maybe?) smut are forecasted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fire Drill

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This is a rework of a previous attempt I had made that sort of fell flat onto it's face in the later parts of the story. Too many plot lines escaped, or failed to feel complete. I decided to tighten the focus down to the main characters.
> 
> I've seen a lot of works like this, so I am trying to explore a stronger position for Judy in the ensuing relationship. Many people assume that age translates to maturity and experience. So what happens if it doesn't?

* * *

#### 10 AM, ZPD Precinct 1

Judy and Nick walked confidently across the large entrance atrium of the station. 

"There is just _no way_ you could have accurately predicted that within seconds..." said Judy, her head twitching slightly as she tried to work out the game her partner had played on her. "Did you pay her off in advance?"

"First things Carrots, if I _did_ do that, what possible reason would have to share it with you now? That's just giving up the trick! Second, I already told you exactly how it was done. Your lack of belief in my evolutionarily advantageous abilities doesn't prove that they do not exist." Nick's response was curt and to the point. His voice sounded tired and bored from repeating the point. 

"Ah! I am not questioning if you have a good sense of smell Wilde! Stop trying to misdirect me. You had to have done something to pull this of." her voice trailed off as they reached the front desk. 

"Hey guys!" called the Cheetah at the front desk. "How'd the interview with your suspects go?"

The response from the two officers was clear before either of them opened their mouths. Their posture practically reeking with defeat. Neither of them seemed to want to look at each other, leaving a pause hanging in the air. 

"Ouch, things go that good huh?" Clawhauser followed up, his face grimacing. 

"My _esteemed_ colleague, partner, friend and pal," Judy said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "decided that after we managed to spend half a day chasing down the _wrong_ mammal, who by the way has an alibi so tight we would be lucky to ever speak with him again, that it would be a fantastic idea to congratulate him and his wife on expecting a litter."

The secretary twiddled two of his claws together awkwardly. "Sorry Judy, I think I missed something. So the guy was innocent, so what? We get the wrong mammals all the time on the suspect lists-" 

Judy's voice was flat and blunt. 

"She hadn't told her husband yet."

The three stood silently, blinking for a moment.

"Oh? Oh. Oooooooh...." came the realization of the cheetah. 

"Yup," the words coming out as a pop of Nick's mouth. "Needless to say I would expect to hear some complains from the Barktin's sometime in the next week. Or maybe tomorrow? They seemed rather busy yelling at each other when we left."

Judy glared at her partner, " _No_ , you don't say?" Her eyes popped with sarcasm. 

"Wait, wait wait, how did Nick know if the husband didn't?" Clawhauser asked. 

"That's the whole point, he won't tell me!" Judy fumed, her paws waving in the air, over dramatically accusing Nick. 

Nick let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes. Looking up at the still grimacing face of their friend. 

"Fine, want proof? Clawhauser you remember how many kinds doughnuts you've eaten today?"

There was a pause as Clawhauser considered his options. "Yeah, maybe? I dunno, like three?"

"Wrong," Nick replied, finally retaining his usual calm voice. "Try six buddy, among them that blueberry jelly one _you promised_ you would hold for me."

Clawhauser ears flushed with embarrassment, Judy broke her death glare to look over and the cheetah. Hey busied himself with a sudden fascination in cleaning the underside of his claws, avoiding all eye contact.

"What? The chief was in a huge huff this morning about some silly shipping issues, and then I got distracted and it sorta went you know... Missing?"

"Missing? Claws, when have you ever managed to allow important material to go missing from your desk, hmm?" Nick pressed the issue on him.

"Things happen!"

Nick rolled his eyes and ran his paws in circles around the base of his ears. 

"Really, this just isn't my morning, how could this possibly get any-"

Later he would reflect on the poor choice of words. Calling attention to oneself as a lighting rod, after already dealing with a flood, was probably not his best decision that day. 

The station went from a brightly lit, warm setting, to an angry rave party from hell in an instant. Klaxons and strobe lights replaced the comforting glow of the various lights in the blink of an eye, quickly followed by a calm electronically recorded instruction. 

" _Attention mammals, this is not a drill. A mandatory safety evacuation is in effect. Repeat, a mandatory safety evacuation is in effect. Please proceed in a calm and orderly manner to the nearest marked exit. Repeat, this is not a drill._ "

"Not. A. Single. World. Fluff." said Nick in a metered response between the alarms wailing horns. 

They had all been through the drills many times. It seemed odd to finally see one in action. There was no smell of smoke or other sign of distress anywhere near the lobby. Still, outside looked to them to be the far less painful option.

They walked together and continued to hold their ears until well clear in the front of the building. The ZFD trucks were already navigating traffic from a few blocks away, and the city now had several dozen importune traffic cops to clear the arrival area for them. 

"So what do you think, someone fall on an alarm switch?" Nick asked idly, as they reached the street and crossed to the small park. 

He and Judy had found an open bench to watch the proceedings from afar. They jumped up and relaxed to enjoy the show that was unfolding across the street. All the taller members of the force were busy directing the snarl of traffic around the city block they were trying cordon off. The ZFD officers were busy clearing the building of the alarms. 

Judy cocked her head to the side and leaned out from her bench. "Hey Nick, what public department in Zootopia drives all black vans?"

She eyed a group of three vehicles driving in from a side road and turning down towards the ZPD loading docks. None of the officers spreading out to get control over the escalating traffic jam seemed to pay them any attention. 

"You're thinking like the movies Carrots. Every public vehicle in the city must display all signage on both sides for pubic identification." Nick continued to rattle off the legalize as Judy slid off the bench to get a better view down one of the side streets. Any given day she loved to verbally spar with Nick over regulations and laws. The vans just seemed to out of place to her. Too orderly for some random delivery, and she couldn't figure out why they would ignore the alarm bells of the station. 

Her twitching nose finally caught Nick's attention. 

"Judy, Don't." Nick said firmly. 

"Don't what?"

"You know what, stop it."

Her ears perked towards Nick before her heard rotated to look at him. 

"No I mean it, don't what?"

"You have that look on your face." he trailed off sounding ominous. 

"What look?"

"The 'I'm going to go get in over my head' look that you give _every time_ you do something that ends in a pile of paperwork."

Judy considered his complaint for a moment before a smile brightened her face. 

"Yeah, but when was the last time you were bored on those alleged adventures, hmmm?"

Nick sighed as he jumped down from his seat and brushed his pants off. "Fine, but you're buying me that dough-nut Clawhauser ate when we invariably end up way over our heads on this."

"What does that even have to do with...?" Judy allowed her question to trail off as Nick walked with a confident strut in front of her and towards the side street in question. She smiled for a moment watching him confidently strut away. 

Her attention wavered for a moment before the brushed her thoughts away and moved to catch up to her partner.

* * *

#### 10 AM, ZPD Precinct 1 Shipping Docks

"Sir, the article is secured. We expect no issues in immediate transportation."

"Good, tag it up and roll A-sap, I don't want this containment op going any more sideways then in already has. Make sure the teams do a full post sweep. I don't need anymore trails today than you are already leaving."

"Copy that sir, will update when the package is rolling."

The officer held the bridge of his nose, pressing his head lightly against the wall. Cover-up operations were never simple in this city. Too many eyes, ears, noses, and cameras to do a full cleanup. Doing it right under the city's primary police station didn't make these matters any easier.

Above him his agents had already hit the server rooms. It took only a minute to plant all the bugs they would need. Within hours the tapes would be scrubbed and edited. Witness would need to be covered as well, but thankfully the team was stationed near by when his call went out. The security division's responses were always fast and hard. Today would be no exception to that rule.

He knew most of the officers in the precinct would be doing their jobs. They would direct traffic and keep the area clear for the Fire Department. ZFD would arrive to find some inexplicable glitches in the alarm system. The delay would buy them a few more minutes of privacy. 

"Sir?" he turned around to see another agent walking up holding a tablet. "I think we might have a problem."

His sentence trailed off as he handled the device over. A video feed showed two small mammals working their way down an ally. 

"What do you want us to do about the fox and the hare?"

"Rabbit"

"Sorry?"

"The gray one, she's a rabbit not a hare."

The question hung in the air. 

"Yes sir, but still, what should-"

"Give me a moment will you?" barked the officer. "I know these two, they are trouble. If the wrong person tries to handle this they are going to start snooping and the last thing that SCAR wants is these two looking for us in their spare time, are we clear on that?"

"Sir, yes sir. Should we leave this to you then?" he replied after a pause. 

"No, I think I am going to need some help, but I doubt you're going to like it. Tell me agent, how good are you with a knife?"

The agent responded with a toothy wide grin.

* * *

#### 10 AM, ZPD Precinct 1 East Side Access

Nick proceeded in front with his ears and nose at full attention. 

"Whats a-matter Nick, you're on edge here."

"Not to be all cliché Carrots, but something smells off."

"Off?"

"Yeah, this just doesn't sit right. It's not that I am some savant when it comes to scents, but I can usually nail most things pretty quickly. Whatever was in those vans, it's making my nose go haywire. It's like there was a mobile chemistry lab that just drove through here." Nick continued his calm metered pace down the side street, rubbing the top of his nose. 

Judy followed him closely. It felt somewhat odd to be stalking down an ally in broad daylight _into_ her own place of work. Her instinct as a cop screamed at her to arm herself with her dart gun, but she did not want to explain to Bogo that they had accidentally used non-lethals on a stray member of the fire department. She was left with her hearing and hopes that this was all a misunderstanding. Her fur stood stood on end as they continued. 

"Hold a second Nick, I think I hear someone coming." 

As they both took a defensive stance against the precinct's outer wall, Judy focused her ears tightly forward. Her eyes closed as she identified the sounds coming from the corner ahead. 

"Two mammals, one ungulate, one..." she paused to try to separate the noises from the background. She shook her head as the alarms and horns of the area drowned out here hearing. "I can't hear the other only clear enough, but they are running towards us, _fast_." 

Nick swung his arm out, pressing her harshly against the wall. 

"Nick! What do you think your-"

"I smell blood Judy." Nick's eyes widened as a primal instinct bubbled up from his gut. His training had help him learn to focus it, but every inch of fur on his body came alive at once. His tail twitched slightly. 

Time slowed to a crawl for Judy. From down the alley a single wolf emerged from around the edge of the loading docks. Clad in all black he didn't even glance to see them. A second later and he had ducked into a side street headed directly away from the station. 

The two officers glances at each other just long enough to make sure they were on the same page. 

"Call it in Fluff," said Nick as they both bolted into a sprint. 

"To who? The command center is still MIA until precinct two takes over!"

Judy focused her attentions to the task at hand. The suspect had a knife, but no other apparent weapons. 

They rounded the corner stopped dead in their tracks. To their right a black clad wolf was running down the alley at full tilt. 

Both of their heads whipped around to their left see their chief, leaning against a wall with a very bloodied hoof cradled to his side. His breath winded from the chase. 

"What do you two soft foots think you are doing?" he pointed with sheer fury in his eyes down the adjacent alleyway. " _I want that mammal in cuffs NOW!_ "

That was all the encouragement the two needed. Nick and Judy both gave chase to their target. The wolf seemed to have slowed his pace as he took turn after turn in the narrow back streets. 

Nick marveled at Judy's agility as they ran. For a stereotypically prey species, she moved like a hunter. Every jump planned in advance, each moment searching for her next advantage to press forward. Her ears pressed hard against her head, streamlining her form.

It didn't take long for the wolf to corner himself. Judy and Nick found themselves winded, to Judy's surprise their suspect was standing alertly. He showed no signs of exhaustion. 

"ZPD, paws up where we can see them!" Judy cried out between deep breaths. Both officers drew their dart guys and leveled them at the wolf's back, who still hadn't turned to face them 

"You might want to give us your attention sir," Nick said after a beat. 

In response the wolf craned his head over his shoulder at them. His wicked smile gave Judy a moment of pause before he launched himself upwards. 

Both officers were ill prepared for what they had seen. The wolf flew upwards a astonishing speed. In seconds he was several stories up. He landed on a fire escape above them, and launched again. After three jumps he had made it to the roof. 

Their dart guns slumped from their firing position, pointing safely into the ground. Both officers looked at each other with the same expression of confusion. 

"Carrots, I am calling dibs-not on having to explain what we just saw to the chief when we get back..."

Judy only smiled, and softly punched her partner in the elbow. She holstered her weapon and began calmly walking back. 

"Both of our body cams will have caught the entire event, _including_ a full view of the suspects face. For added bonuses, he smiled at us."

"Eh? What, you have a thing for wolves? Wouldn't have called that one." Nick took a long step to catch up to her as she walked. He kept as straight as face as he could manage at the revelation Judy has just let slip. 

"Wha- Er- No!" Her ears fell down to cover her eyes. She could feel the blood burn through them. "He smiled at us on camera. The guys back at the lab might be able to help get dental records if he had anything interesting going on with his teeth."

"So, what you're saying is that you wanna know if he has anything interesting with his jaws?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Nick's arm was still slightly numb from the punch Judy dutifully delivered. 

_Worth it_ , he thought to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Zeke for pointing on an obvious spelling error that i used about 20 times total in my current work. Fixed!


	2. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events of the previous day don't add up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I will be taking some creative authority to allow characters a more 'adult' voice. This means that they will curse and swear as normal adults would.
> 
> Update 07/30/2016: At the suggestion of a review, this chapter was extended to help smooth the gap into chapter 03. Apparently we went a _bit_ too far into the medias res of the events that follow. This should help correct that? Maybe?

#### 11 AM, ZPD Precinct 1

It had taken over an hour for the ZPD offices to be fully cleared. By the time Judy and Nick had returned, Chief Bogo had managed to find a EMT to patch up his right arm, and was now parading around the front of the building barking orders with a blue floral arm sling. 

The two stood behind a crowd of civilians watching the remaining emergency responders clear out. 

"Hey Nick?" 

"Yeah Carrots?" 

Judy sighed. She didn't mind the pet names, but they always felt so unprofessional in her head. 

"Why didn't precinct two ever take over radios?" Judy asked.

"Er, what do you mean?"

"'In the event of an evacuation of any primary coordination site, the neighboring precinct is to assume command and control until further accommodations can be made.' Precinct two never assumed command and control, our radios have been basically silent except for officer to officer chatter." Judy's nose twitched away as she talked. 

Nicks took mental note of Judy's posture. She was clearly in her problem solving mode. 

"OK, so what do you think is going on then?" he knew that once she was on the tangent, he was really just there for the ride. 

"I... I don't know," she replied, her voice quiet. 

_"Uh-oh_ Nick thought, _"There goes any chance of interesting conversation for the afternoon."_

"Listen Carrots, I'm sure it's nothing. Probably a glitch in the system. From the sounds of it, our own building had some sort of glitch that kept the ZFD out for a while back there."

"Two failures, in two separate buildings, on the same day?"

"Well, I'm sure Chief Buffalo Butt would love to hear your theories! Let's just go tug on his pants, and explain to him that the wolf that stabbed him was also a magical flying grasshopper who escaped us when we had him at dart point." Nick laid on his sarcasm as strong as he could. 

"Ha ha, very funny." The realization that Nick wasn't that far off took her a moment to process. "Nick, what _are_ we going to tell the chief?"

"I'd vote we wait on that one until things cool down. We don't wanna put that story forward without proof." He reached out a lightly tapped the camera affixed to her chest. "Let the nerds in the lab pull these bad boys and _then_ we try to go get fired."

"Always playing the angles eh fox?"

Nick's smirk dissolved as he look at their angry chief reaming out some poor member of the fire department that had managed to turn the wrong way. 

"There's a lot of good lessons I learned on the streets Hopps. When you know you have that guy fighting in the other corner, you go in with a knockout cheap shot, and a good exit plan."

Judy tiled her head up and looked at her partner. Her mind raced through Nick's quick thinking that had saved her badge. "So that's how you pulled off that speech at the sky cars."

"Eh, not so much..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"That was angry and shit luck sweetheart. That's what happens when someone has nothing left to lose."

"Huh? Why did you have nothing left to lose? You knew I had lost-"

"Everything," Nick finished, his voice calm and cool. "You had lost everything Carrots, that's when I knew you were ready to start to fight."

* * *

#### 4 PM, ZPD Precinct 1, IT Support Lab

"What do you _mean_ it's gone? I've never even heard of body camera footage going missing," Judy asked, craning to look over the wolf's desk. She had found herself at the ZPD's internal support center for their electronic equipment. 

Normally recoding body camera foot was trivial. The equipment was checked back into the weapons locker right along with their sidearms. Within an hour it would be charged, and all its contents available to the entire department. Her and Nick's file had come back 'corrupted'. 

"Sorry Officer Hopps, but there isn't much we can do. Honestly we have seen a lot of failures today. I'll have the eggheads take a look at it tomorrow," the wolf replied to her. 

Judy stormed off with a curt thanks for his efforts. 

Chief was still out, presumably having some poor doctor stitch together what ever cut had been made on his arm. She returned to her desk to close out the paperwork on the case. 

"He is not gonna like this," Nick cautioned. 

"What else can we do?" Judy asked. "We saw what we saw. It's our duty to report the truth."

Judy signed her name on the various pages of reports and documentation she had spent the afternoon preparing. Nick gave her a concerned look as she deposited them into the offices safe. The Chief would collect and submit them for archive when he returned. 

"So, coffee?" Nick asked, closing down his computer and locking his desk away for the evening. 

"What is with you and coffee shops? At least half your income must go into Zootopian bean trade," Judy questioned, catching up and walking with him. 

"You're diurnal Fluff, you don't understand the struggle that is daylight."

"What, all foxes are vampires? Does the sun burn your delicate fur?"

"Oh laugh it up. And to think, I was going to offer it as my treat! There is a new shop down near the savanna boarder. I want to check it out. Fang won't stop singing their praise, so either they are good or they are holding our fellow officers hostage."

"Ah, so this is off the clock case work then," Judy laughed at him. The constant tendency to work every angle he could did in fact make Nick a fantastic partner.

* * *

#### 10 AM, ZPD Precinct 1

Nick and Judy stood at attention, opposite their commanding officer. It had taken over two days for the meeting to occur. Chief Bogo had been away from the offices until now. The buffalo carried his usual indignant manor. He sat at his desk, flipping through the small pile of paper Judy had submitted. 

"The case is being referred to Internal Affairs, Officer Hopps," he finally said, sliding the paperwork back into a freshly sealed and signed envelope. His injury army made the process slow, and bothersome. He was still adjusting to his one armed recovery process. 

"IA sir?" Judy asked. 

"If I might sir," Nick interjected. "Affairs within the ZPD offices are not strictly forbidden, but then are heavily discourses-"

" **Can it Wilde** ," Bogo barked out at him. "Now is not an appropriate time for your humor. The IA offices will investigate and return their findings to the mayor. I _need_ you to to keep your noses out of their investigation. I cannot protect you if they decide you are involved. Are we clear?"

The pair looked at each other. 

"Perhaps," the buffalo began, "I should return to the emergency room. It seems my hearing has gone as well?"

"Yes sir!" The two belted out together. 

"Good!" He replied with sarcastic optimism. "Now get out of here, you two aren't paid to lounge."

The pair departed with haste. 

Sitting at their adjacent desks, Judy began furiously typing at her tiny keyboard. 

"Carrots?" Nick asked, peeking around her monitor. "What are you...?"

"I am writing down everything that just happened. Something is up, and the Chief is involved."

Nick sat back in his squeaky office chair. 

"That's a bit of an accusation to be throwing around," he looked around the mostly empty office to see if they were being overheard by anyone else. 

"It's true though! Look, I've pulled the camera footage of _every_ body camera. Anyone on that side of the building? Nothing. Chief's camera, all the officers directing traffic, your's and mine. All gone."

"There was a glitch, IT told us-" Nick barely started before he was interrupted. 

"Plus, I made some calls to local ERs. Bogo never checked into any of them."

Nick put his paws up in dismissal. 

"Police officers are admitted for medical care under pseudonyms all the time. Maybe he thinks he is in danger?"

Judy broke from her focus to look at him. 

"Then why doesn't he show up at any of them on the traffic cameras?"

Nick's jaw held slightly open. There were at least four hospitals Judy would have checked within the city limits. Each of them had dozens of cameras recording. It would have taken almost a full day for someone to have checked it, and they had been working full shifts since the incident. 

"Judy, you need to relax on this. IA is looking into it. Those mammals are assholes, they won't leave anything unturned."

"This isn't right Nick. Something is happening here."

Nick shook his head and busied himself with their traffic stops from the morning. In truth he didn't mind helping her with the paperwork. Judy was spot on for field work, this was his way of backing her up in an official stance. He knew that once she had her teeth into something juicy, he wasn't going to get her back until she got what she was after. The two typed away in silence.

* * *

#### 10 PM, Rainforest District, The Claw-Scratch Bar

A month later Nick walked out of the humid air that permeated the Rainforest District, and into a different kind of thickness. From industrially control air, to a churning mixture of drinks, smoke, and predatory musk. Claw-Scratch was an older bar. In it's heyday Nick would have be cautious to enter, listening carefully to hear if a brawl had broken out. 

Time's had changed for the grungy establishment. It's own, and patrons had aged. Time had tempered their attitudes. Now it was a quiet sanctuary for old bikers, or mafia front men who couldn't afford to buy drinks someplace nicer. 

The bar itself was packed, shoulder to shoulder with a row of mammals. Most sported a black jacket, with tears and patches from their past. The rest of the floor offered tables of various shapes and sizes. Nick knew exactly where he would need to be headed. Rounding the corner to the back half, he was greeted with a space illuminated by an almost comical amount of TVs. Sports events from all over the world played on the different screens. 

Nick sat down at a small spindly table. Across from him sat Finnick, on a wobbly looking wooden stool of his own. There had been a time when he felt welcomed in a dive like the Claw-Scratch, but those times were behind him. It was hard to separate the association. Primarily predator serving businesses simply had a higher reported crime rate. The numbers didn't lie. 

He wasn't so stupid as to show up _in_ uniform. The constant concern of being fingered somehow itched at him. Most of the patrons had long since give up on their fiery youths, but he didn't want to put that to the rest. Street clothes simply blended in better. 

_You know the owner, he is a good mammal_ he assured himself. _So long as no one decides to crack something over your idiot head first_.

"Drink?" A friendly waitress asked. The tiger loomed over their table. 

"Water's just fine," His said politely. She nodded and moved on to her other patrons. 

"Bitch drinks tonight?" Finnick hadn't even looked at him since he had sat down. His eyes were transfixed on a TV behind him. 

_Ah, betting again. Sure that's going well_ Nick thought to himself. 

"My next shift is in ten hours little guy. Daddy needs his beauty sleep." Nick craned his head back, trying to pin which TV had his friends attention so well. "How much you got ridding tonight?"

"What's it to ya?" Came the gruff reply. 

"Oh, just trying to see how far I can push the buttons before you try to break another stool on my head." He looked back with a smirk. 

"Oh piss off. You had that commin and you knew it." Finnick allowed himself a moment's lapse from his TV to glare at Nick, before snapping back to watch intently. 

"It's... Not the van, right?"

"Nope," Finnick replied. "Only cash tonight."

Their waitress returned with two drinks. A sweating glass of ice water was set before Nick, while a some green fruit smelling drink in a small cocktail glass was sat with his friend. 

"You two just wave if you need anything," she smiled and wandered back into the din of the bar. 

"So, who's ordering the bitch drinks, hm?"

Finnick didn't flinch. His head bobbed as something elicited stress from the screens behind Nick. 

Nick rolled his eyes, he wasn't here to watch Finnick loose another week's pay on some foolish gamble he couldn't control. His gaze wandered to some prop the owners had pinned to the wall. A tire from a car, probably owned by a frequent customer. It still bore the burn marks from the crash. A little memorial to those who knew the story. A pile of photos lay it in, almost overflowing. 

He looked elsewhere. Places like this were filled with stories, if you knew where to look. Nick used to know most of them. The walls were an ever changing landscape, a reflection of it's community. The last time Nick had come it, there had been maybe two TVs in the whole bar. Now they numbered in the dozens. 

Glancing back, Nick caught a group of mammals sliding envelopes across a table, pointed up into the field of sports overhead. 

_Don't let me catch you on duty, bookie_ he chuckled to himself. _Gods, Judy would love visiting this place. She wouldn't even realize how out of place she would be here. A month ago it could have happened._. 

Ever since the break in to the ZPD, Judy had become obsessed with it. At first it was simple. A passing interest in the case. Just another nut for her to wrestle with and crack. 

Nights like this used to be theirs. She would always find some new place to go explore or see. 

Zootopia was home to Nick. It was everything he had ever known. The rainforest district was his normal stomping grounds, but conning had brought him to all corners of the city. Somewhere, deep in the his apartment, a small book marked off all the addressed they used to pulls cons at. A scam didn't work if mammals saw you there the next day. He and Finnick had changed targets every week for years. It was rare to come across a place he hadn't been at least once. 

Through Judy's eyes, the city new. She saw it like a newborn pup. Nick reveled in it. Not that he could risk her seeing how much he enjoyed it. Evenings exploring parks, art galleries, and shops were veiled in fake boredom. His rule, 'Never let them see that they get to you' held strong a true throughout them. 

The break in had ended all of it. It was a lazy spiral of interruptions and distractions for Judy. From crazy meanderings through the districts, almost every free moment they had, to nothing. It had taken less than a fortnight. He wasn't sure of the last time they had gotten coffee together when they weren't on duty. 

Finnick harrumphed, and turned away from whatever had owned his attention. He took a slow careful sip from his drink and looked at Nick. 

"It ain't," he said. 

"Pardon?" Nick asked. _Would it kill you to use more than five words at once?_ he wondered to himself. Finnick was rarely one to rant after all. 

"It ain't a bitch drink."

Nick looked down at the swilling green concoction. A thin layer of finely shredded ice jutted up from where the fox had taken a sip. 

"Sure, and one day you're gonna be a big elephant just like you want to be," Nick jeered. He watched his friendly carefully. There had been a time when he could have read him like a book. Probably guessed within a few hundred dollars how much he had just won or lost. His time on the force had allowed their friendship to dull, becoming rusty around the edges. 

Finnick brought a paw to rub his forehead. 

_Ouch, a loss_ Nick guessed. 

"Why you here Nick?" Finnick asked. 

Nick's head turned around the bar, as if to find an excuse. He turned back, finding nothing to divert to. 

"Can't an old fox have a nice drink with an old friend?"

"Oh, we still friends huh? Didn't catch that."

_Okay, let's not poke that particular bear_ , Nick decided. 

"Eh, I just wanted to clear my mind. Things are a bit hairy at work. Cases piling up, mammals like _you_ to catch."

Finnick finished a low slow draw from his drink. 

"Who's she."

"Who's who?" Nick defended himself. 

"Bullshit," Finnick sighed. He leaned back on the spindly stool he sat on. "Only three things ever made you need to clear yo mind Fuzz." 

Finnick brought a closed paw out, counting off his list as he went. 

"Pissin off them Bigs, loosing money, and bitches. You got all them other fuzz to back you up, so you ain't worried bout the Bigs. Word is you buried the hatchet with um too. You on all that sweet city payroll now, so you ain't hurten for scratch. That leaves only one thing."

Nick pursed his lips. Finnick had been his best friend since grade school. He had seen Nick through the best and worse he had ever run into. There were times when Finnick was more a role model for him than his mother had been. Nick was still unsure of how good a choice that had been. 

He had a point though. Nick stayed on top of his game. One didn't become a master grifter with a weak constitution. Earning the ire of the Bigs' had been a particularly poor choice on their part. Nick didn't sleep right for weeks. 

A long string of failed cons had done the same to him. Money ran tight on when times were good, and it wasn't like they had a line of credit to pull on. Nick didn't enjoy not knowing where tomorrow's meals were coming from. 

"That isn't your concern Finnick." Nick said dismissively. 

"Then why you here Fuzz?"

"That's.... A good question."

They sat in silence as Finnick slowly nursed his drink to its delicious demise. Despite the waitresses encouragement, he declined an offer for another round. Nick knew where this would end. Finnick was if anything, patient. He would sit here for hours staring down Nick, never flinching until he got the truth. Nick blinked first. 

"It's that bunny you met," Nick said, looking back up to the charred memorial. 

Finnick mouth opened, he worked at something in silence before closing it again. 

"Yeah yeah, I know. Race traitor and all that."

"Momma never tell you to not play with yo food?" Finnick said. 

The jeer was friendly. Nick knew that. Finnick just didn't really operate with a filter. Anything that came to his mind he would say, if he was sure he wouldn't get his ass handed to him for it. For that reason alone they didn't have Finnick talk much during their jobs together. Life was just simpler with someone who wouldn't _escalate_ the situation at the helm. 

"Charming," Nick said flatly back. "It's nothing, just a passing fancy."

"Oh, I didn't know they had bullshit on the menu here." Finnick said with a laugh. He waved his paw around the empty table as if to show off a lavishly piled meal. "Hey look, you brought seconds!"

Finnick let out a rolling belly laugh. His small size deceived his deep tones. Nicks ears flattened, eyes narrowing to annoyed slits. His friends ability to read him clearly hadn't dulled as much as his own. 

"Yeah yeah, yuk it up." Nick said dismissively. 

Allowing the last of the laughs to work their way out, Finnick leaned forward placing a firm paw flat on the table. 

"Nick, when's the last time you so much as _sniffed_ at a passing vixen?"

"Not since _her_."

"Right. That was what, high-school? Fuzz, you been dryer than hell. Rumor was you gone and had yo self fixed."

Nick raised an unamused eyebrow at the statement. 

"Hey, I just says what I hears," Finnick defended. He leaned away again, looking up to the wall of TVs feigning disinterest. "Okay Fuzz, let's hear it."

"There's nothing to hear Finnick. It's just a passing curiosity. You work next to a mammal so long they become part of your life. Now that she isn't, its like there is some sort of... Hole there."

Finnick looked back to him. 

"You gonna need a tissue?"

"Oh go fuck yourself," Nick spat back. He couldn't help but smile. It felt good to turn the filter off again. There wasn't a thing in the word he could say to get under Finnick skin. He had spent years trying to so much as rustle his fur, with little success. If there was a time with Finnick had given one single fuck, it had long since passed. 

"Chase it," Finnick said back after a brief pause. "That shit don't land on your lap more than once. You've been out the game so long, you don't even know how to play anymore."

"Dating a coworker? A friend? And prey? Never thought I'd hear you point someone that way."

"Don't go gettin all sentimental on me Fuzz. I ain't telling you jack you didn't come here to hear someone say anyway. You ain't dumb, you know this ends in fire. Then again, you is dumb. You're gonna run into that fire anyway."

His words echoed in Nick's mind. 

_Did I really just come here to hear that? No, I came here... To talk. Yeah. To the fox who gave me the idea to get into the skunk rug business. Okay, not here for talk. Advice?_ Nick's mind thought back to horrifying volume of female partners Finnick had gone through over the years. _Okay, not exactly a romance expert here. Gods, didn't I already know this?_

Finnick flagged down the waitress and squared his bill before hopping to the ground. 

"You ain't here with yo head in the game Nick. Call me next time you wanna regret a night. No bitch drinks."

With a curt wave he vanished into the night.

* * *

#### 5 PM, Savanna Central, Fairview Cemetery

Days passed. Nick found himself mulling his feelings over more and more. He needed a compass. Someone to guide him. He walked along the snaking path, holding a single rose in his hands. A token offering. It was tradition. Nick never visited his mother without bringing her something. She had never failed to give to him. Not once. 

He crouched down on his knees, as is to pray to the ground flush gravestone. Gently he picked away at the blades of grass that had grown slightly over it. He took his time with the task. The cool spring breeze whisked around him as he worked in silence. Finishing, he nestled the rose neatly into the slightly indented space the stone created. 

"It's been a while, huh mom?" he spoke as if she was still there across from him at a table. 

Years had passed since she had left him. It had been quick. Heart failure. He was thankful she didn't suffer in the end. At first he had _raged_ at her passing. Angry shouting matches had been had out on these hallowed grounds. He had demanded answers that never came. Explanations for why the last good thing in his life had been taken away. In time, and with grieving, he had broken down and let it out. Life had moved on. Nick now took strength from the experience.

Now it was the safest place he knew to talk to someone who had always listened. 

"Well, I um... Yeah, I'm a cop now. Yeah I know! Who would have seen that coming! Life was simple mom. I scratched by with what I could, stayed away from anyone that couldn't really afford to lose their cash. Finnick and I made it work. Never had to draw blood, not even for the Bigs. 

"Then I met a meter maid. Some dewy eyed bunny from the boonies. Judy Hopps. Got her floppy little ears all in a twist about some missing otter she never even knew. Oh mom, you would have loved to meet her. She has a fire in her. More then I think she knows. Ha, that's saying something for her. There isn't an ounce of quit in her. Well, not anymore. 

"Took her less than a week to get to Zootopia and instill mass panic. Our city wasn't _ready_ for her. Of all the damned things, a flipping bunny almost did it in. She roped me in mom. Literally. Beat me at my own game. Conned me into two days from hell. Before the end I'd been tossed off a cliff, tied up in vines, almost mauled by a savage panther. We talked the assistant mayor into giving us a back door to the CCTV cameras, broke into a secret government facility, flushed ourselves down a waterfall? Gods, it was a trip.

"But she found them mom. Every last mammal that had gone missing. Fixed a dozen families in her first week on the job. She found all of them. Then uh, well. Things were said. Mistakes were made. You're lucky you didn't have to watch it mom. That bunny put a spike through the cities heart in a five minute press conference. In a few weeks everyone was talking collars, or kicking the predators out of Zootopia. I was about ready to leave myself. 

"Then... She came back. Despite ruining the only dream she ever had. Despite throwing it away on a fool's bet. The city ate her, chewed her up and spat her right back into the carrot farming dirt she was raised on. 

"And she marched _right back in_. Gods, I wish you could have seen the fire in her then. I thought she was a hot headed little ball of fur before. She showed back up like an inferno. Did it all over again. Sapped me into helping her, although I'm still not sure on the how. Then pulled the best con I've even seen. Oh, and we crashed an explosive train into the natural history museum. Yeah, I'll fill you in next time. Damn that was a day."

Nick let out a long breath. 

"I should have seen it coming mom. She conned me twice already. Ha, if Finnick and I had her with us in our prime we, would have stolen the keys to the city. Heaven's help anyone that gets in her way.

"I... Um... Yeah, there isn't an easy way to say this. I think I like her? Not as a friend either. I mean, yeah she is a good friend, but it's more then that. She showed me how to be an honest fox. Let me open up to someone like no one ever has. She brought me into a world where my goals were tangible mom."

His paw reached into his back pocket. It drew a small red handkerchief. A relic from the past. He dabbed away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. Slow laboured breaths calmed him down, slightly. 

"Judy is something else mom. And I... I don't know what I am going to do. It could never work out, I mean yeah. I _know that_. A fox and a rabbit? Even she and I made it work, the city never would. It's healed, but it doesn't care. It's still the only beast we knew it as, deep down in its core. 

"It's just. I've seen her face odds that make this seem like a mole hill. I should be able to just walk up and say it. Be an adult about this whole mess."

Another sob was stifled into a shaky breath. 

"I know I promised I'd never ask this again mom. I know you can't. But I need you. I need you more than you know it. I'm lost in all of this. She means _so much_ to me, yet she is she just out of my reach."

Nick abandoned any hope he had of keeping his eyes clear. Looking up to the slowly reddening sunset, he let everything out. Crying had a cathartic release to it. It purified him in a way he rarely let happen. Here he was raw, exposed to the storm of confusion that raged in his heart. 

"I'm a coward mom," he spoke in a whisper. "I know you raised me to be better than that, but it's true. I'm a coward. I can't tell her. She would panic, and run away. That would... Gods it would crush me."

Nick rolled back, allowing himself to fall into the neatly kept grass of the cemetery. His mother's words echoed in his mind. Years of advice and sage words. None of it relevant to his questions. 

_Come on Wilde, think. You've conned mammals out of the very shirt they wore. You can con one bunny into a date._

"No," he spoke out to no one. His voice finding confidence at last. "This can't be a con. Con's are how you get something from someone who doesn't want to give it. I'm not going to _con_ Judy into anything. I just need to show her the door is open, and let her walk in..."

Nick snapped up onto his feet. 

"Thanks mom. You're the best listener I know."

Nick Wilde bent down on a single knee, and pressed his lips to the cold stone surface of his mother's grave. He marched away with renew purpose. 

_Judy is too busy to do this the easy way. I have to make this work._

Plans bubbled into his mind. Ideas to help relax her, distract her from the ZPD break in case. Get her to see the world around her again.

* * *

#### 10 AM, Savanna Central, Down 'n Dirty Greens

It had taken a week find a time slot that Judy would agree too. No less than three times she had tried to postpone or cancel. Finally, Nick had succeeded. Some new salad speciality restaurant. 

He cursed under his breath at his surroundings. It didn't seem to matter where he went these days, something would put him on a wary edge. He couldn't spot a single other predator at the place. Made sense really, it wasn't like greenery was high on his list of favorite foods. Still, they sat quietly in the corner of the bustling dining area. Judy sat silently across from him, reading through the copious pages of notes she always kept these days. 

"Clawhauser tells me that you know some of the suppliers for this place?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," she said passively, not glancing up at all. Her head moving in sharp small motions as she scanned the pages of the flip book in her paws. 

Nick forced a smile. 

"So I'm thinking about shaving my head bald. New look for the summer."

"Sounds nice," she said, still distracted. 

"Really, you want to work with a bald fox?" Nick asked leaning forward. 

Judy stopped, her eyes looking up in a bout of confusion. 

"I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

Nick smirked. Behind the emotional walls, his mind raged. Judy had this way of tuning the world out, the moment she punched out of the ZPD's clock. Nick found himself torn between feeling so close to a warm radiance, yet ignored all at once. It was infuriating. 

"Oh, nothing. Just commenting that you know the suppliers for this place?"

"Ah. Probably. It's hard to say really? My dad always handled the big shipments. I was always on the produce stand out front." Her vision drifting back down to the paper. She chewed idly on a pen. 

"How are they anyway?"

"Good," she said, reaching down and circling something. 

"I heard one of your brothers applied to the academy?"

"Dropped out."

"Ah," Nick said. "Unfortunate."

_What the hell is with her tonight? Finnick talks more than this!_ He fumed to himself. _Deep breaths Wilde. She is on that private case Bogo set her on. Nothing you can do to drag her away from that._

"So then. How's after hours work treating you?" He asked as diplomatically as he could manage. 

"Can't say," Judy said flipping a page and circling more bits on her pad. 

Nick sat back, watching her work quietly. This plan had felt so brilliant a week prior. Just get her alone, surely things would flow then. With a huff Judy set her notebook down.

"Okay, I can deal with that later," she said, gently folding the pad and putting it down. "So, what made you pick this joint anyway? Not a log of bugs on the menu."

_See? Nothing to worry about. She just needed to get something of our her head before she forgot._ Nick thought. 

"I think I'll survive a night without protein. Besides, all the other leaf munchers at the station wouldn't shut up about this place. Figured it was worth taking a look."

"Oh, neat!"

Judy's head swiveled around the room. She seemed to take it in for the first time since they had arrived. The spark was there again. The wonder and amazement he had missed. Nick could swear he felt his heart swell. 

"I heard the new howler derivative took a big hit last week," Nick said. 

"That new one out of tundra town?"

"Yup, undercover guys nabbed the chemist that was mixing it for them. Supply is off the market."

"Thats wonderful Nick! It will be nice to stop calling in the EMTs for that one."

They sat in silence for a moment. While the attacks from the night howler plants had stopped, every drug dealer in the city was itching to find a way to sell the stuff. It was sold as the ultimate rush. Stripping away everything that made you a civilized member of society. The good ones worked, all too well. For thirty minutes mammals would forget the world and go partially savage. The majority were just cheap knockoffs, much less temporary than advertised. They tested the cities ability to procure enough antidote. 

What worried, Judy were the bad cases. A mixture too potent, or a something else laced in to give an initial kick. More then once they had come across a black eyes, foaming mammal deep in the throes of a trip they might never return from. 

"Food and Drug's say they are gonna have the new scanners up on the ports by the end of the year. That should curtail any more mass shipments of the bulbs at least," Nick said. 

"The port..." Judy said, her voice trailing off. Her eyes glazed over, nosing twitching away. 

"Ah, so much for that conversation," Nick said brazenly. 

"Oh gods, I'm already gonna miss it! Sorry Nick, I have to bail. Love ya, bye!" In a flash Judy disappeared across the restaurant. 

Nick sat alone at his table, mouth open, as a perplexed looking waiter arrived with their food. 

"Is there a problem _sir_?" he asked. 

He shook his head, wiping the scowl from his face. 

"No, just a ah... Change of plans apparently. Could we get that in a box please?"

The waiter nodded, no more polite than what was expected. Nick ignored the slight, fuming with his back pressed against his chair. He closed his eyes, slowly counting backwards from ten. 

_Calm yourself Nick. She has big fish to fry right now. Don't be that friend. Be the one that is happy and dependable. Next time will go better._

Nick took heart in the fact that next time would be better. Or at least no worse than what had just happened. He never could have predicted then, what the next few months held in store for his attempts. The diner had been a mere preview for the main event. Nick's patience would be tried time and time again, on the days he could actually corner her for five minutes of personal time. Excuse after excuse was offered. Jokes faded from their time at work. Without a social life, Judy had nothing left to contribute to the conversations. With her distractions, Nick couldn't offer a single morsel of conversation she would take. 

He did everything he could to steel his resolve against the slow erosion of time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and critiques welcome as always! Authors survive on feedback!
> 
> This finishes up the previous published work, and we should be exploring new stuff soon. I expect to post at a fair clip of 2-3 a week until I finish what I have written so far. We will see how things go once I bottom out of my queue. 
> 
> If anyone is interested in beta reading or editing, I'd love the second set of eyes. Drop me a message!


	3. Time and Effort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes, seasons turn and mistakes are made. Judy find's herself stranded, with burning bridges to her back. It's time for her to mend what she has broken.

#### 10 PM, ZPD Precinct 1 Offices

Office Judy Hopps fell harshly into her chair. It was over. _Months_ of work, countless hours of surveillance, investigation and paperwork. No less than two suspensions on her record for failing to comply with orders. All of it was over. 

She remembered back to the start of the case. It felt foggy, as if part of the different life that was not really her own anymore. The attack on the precinct had gone totally unnoticed by most of the other officers. Even Nick had been reasonably quick to dismiss the case after a few days.

"This whole situation reeks. It's the kind of thing you don't wanna poke your nose in, Carrots," he had told her. Looking back she chuckled to herself. There wasn't a better way to make her obsessed with something than telling her not to. He clearly hadn't learned that lesson. 

The chief had called her in after a week of investigation, during her off hours. It was her first lead into the case. They had met in a grungy bar in the lowest part of the rainforest district. The smell had stuck with her. It as off, a mixture of soot, burned rubber and something rotting. Great place to disappear to. Not a lot of mammals paid attention to their surroundings. Bogo had still been in an arm sling at the time. His right arm was out of commission for weeks. Still, he hadn't let the injury shrink his presence at all. 

It was almost scary seeing him talk quietly. It felt like walking through the eye of a hurricane. The rage and anger he was known for, just a hairs breath from bubbling to the surface. His words were spoken thoughtfully, each carefully chosen. 

"Listen Hopps, I need to know your in on this."

"Sir? In on what?"

"This case. I need to know you're... _Committed_."

"I am one hundred percent ready to do my duty to-"

"No," he had interrupted her, his head shaking back and forth with cutting disappointment. Anger was easier to deal with than that look. Anger could be explained away on someone else. "This isn't about duty to the city Hopps. This goes deeper. I don't know how deep, but it's there."

He had given her a file. Most of it hand written notes, and a single picture of the wolf that had attacked him. 

"Chief," she said looking at the photo in awe. It was the only surviving shred of hard evidence she had seen. Every camera in the area had be carefully doctored over, or worse totally erased. The wolf had vanished into the rooftops like a ghost. 

"Your deep cover on this one. I can't protect you. I will never acknowledge this conversation ever happened, understood?"

"Crystal sir!" her voice raising a bit too uncomfortable loud as some of the other patrons glared at her. "I won't let you down."

"Good."

"Sir?" she asked cautiously. 

"Yes Hopps?" he asked with an unamused glare. 

"What happened to _you_?"

The buffalo looked down at his arm. He flexed his hoof carefully. 

"I was _stabbed_ Hopps, by some mentally unstab-"

"No," she said. "I mean after. I looked into the hospital records. Traffic cameras. I even called what nurses I could get a hold of. Cleaning staff, front desks, _everything_. No one treated you that day."

He leaned forward. "I told you Hopps, this goes deep. Deeper than I know. Of all my officers, you're the one with the fewest long term ties to the city. You are my outsider. I am asking you to do this, because of that. 

"You won't find anyone who will report me for this arm. Old friend stitched me back up. All under the table. If you really wanna see something, check the clinics off in Tundra Town. My antibiotics were prescribed there."

The lie was mostly true. She would eventually find the records of the visit. He knew it would be enough to sate her, and keep her nose pointed to the real case. 

"Remember, you are on your _own_ from here. No talking to me, no talking to Wilde. If Internal Affairs asks, I will deny any of this ever happened. You're on your own."

Before Judy could agree, he grunted, stood and left. She had no idea the trouble she had managed to dig herself into. 

Clues were hard to come by at first. Whom ever this wolf was, he was quick and smart. At best she would find a witness, only to have them 'not remember anything' the next day. Some vanished completely. Day's later a job offer, or a change of address would surface. Calls would be ignored, no one would answer Judy's questions. 

Being under deep cover left her with almost no one to trust. Nick was the only person she felt she could talk to. Everything she said had to be half truths. Words hiding their meaning from him. He seemed more willing to humor her then help as she pressed on. At the very least he had given her the contacts needed to get a private investor's license in the city. Running under a fictional alias she had bought from her connection to the Bigs. 

It all sat in her stomach uncomfortably. As time had passed, she considered more and more possibilities. Was Bogo even on her side? Would she be thrown under a bus at the first sign of trouble? Was this a setup to be the fall-bunny with the Internal Affairs group?

The lack of a badge took time to get used to. Without proper authority, many things were well outside of her reach. Every time she managed to claw at something, _anything_ , something would explode at work and drag her away. By the time work settled, the trail would go cold. It was infuriating. 

Then things changed. Months of work, countless clues tacked to cork boards, and more than one regretful choice had lead her to her mark. 

He probably would have gotten away if it hadn't been for his pager. 

The wolf had taken refuge in a park once she had spotted him. It was a poor choice really. His ability to jump that she had witnessed before was useless among the grass and trees. She had walked right passed him, hiding up a tree when his pager had gone off. The small green blinking screen might as well have been a flood light in the dark of the night.

Judy had been closer than this before and allowed him to escape. This time she wasn't willing to risk losing him. Her reaction was instant. A tranquilizer dart delivered directly into the suspect's neck. He didn't make it more than a hundred meters before collapsing. 

_Ah, the wonders of non-lethals_ she had thought. 

Not knowing what else to do, she booked him. After dropping him off to be processed, she had filed her paperwork now found herself at her desk. A quick phone call to a very anxious sounding chief had given her a meeting, even at this late hour. Now she just needed to wait for Bogo to make it into work at an odd hour.

For the first time in months, Judy relaxed. There was nothing left to do but present the case to the DA and wait for a court date. She loved those. With notable exceptions, the judges in Zootopia where fair and level minded mammals. Her time in court fulfilled all her ideals of her job. It was city justice in action. Serving the people, with fair and just determination. 

Still, she wanted Bogo to know what she had found. She needed this to have a second set of eyes on it, tonight. She sat in her desk waiting for the chief to show up. 

Her head flooded with all the little things that she had pushed aside. They rushed in, filling the gaps the case had suddenly left. When was the last time she had called home? She had asked them, or ordered, she couldn't truly remember, to stop calling her without a planned call. To easy to give away her name accidentally, or compromise a good hiding spot. 

When was the last time she had spent time with Nick? Sure they worked on duty, but before this case they had spent so much time together. They used to be friends. _Used to be? Oh crackers..._ she thought, quickly adding a reminder to her phone to call him in the morning. He was off duty tomorrow. She needed to start patching things up. 

Her phone pinged. It was the Chief's tone, high pitched. Judy had learned the hard way not to miss his messages. 

"Hopps  
Issues tonight. Cannot come in  
Meet me where this started  
tomorrow  
11:30  
PM*"

Judy sighed. So much for glory tonight. The sweet look of surprise on Bogo's face would just have to wait. Why so late for the meeting though? Surly Bogo would want to meet his assailant before then?

"Eh, that sounds like a problem for tomorrow," Judy said to the empty room. She hopped off her chair and began the jog home. The cool crisp air of the night was cleansing, in a way. Fall was almost in full swing. Soon the city would hunker down for the winter ahead. Crime rates would dip, homeless concerns would rise. The city would turn on.

* * *

#### 11 AM, Zootopia Gardens Outdoor Park

Judy paced anxiously in with her two cups. They steamed lightly in the frosty mid day air. A cold snap had come in from the west over night. It left the greenery tinged with a light showing of frost. The sun had baked away anything it could touch, but the shadows still harbored signs of the coming winter. 

The morning had been spent talking to her parents. Two solid hours of catching up. She had a new batch of siblings to greet, although none had opened their eyes. Her mother was in her usual new litter glow.

Her father had been the more concerned one. Judy's attempts to tell half truths to him fell apart more and more as the call had continued. Convincing him that she was doing something that she wasn't allowed to talk about took a predictable thirty minutes after that. At least he seemed to have dropped the habit of blaming Nick for all her needed deceptions. It was a small consolation prize. Her parents were worried, they felt that she was drifting away more and more. Judy was.

She promised them a visit at the end of the month. A time to _really_ talk. Judy hoped that by then her case would have gone public. She had never worked a case like this, surely they didn't stay undercover forever. 

Now she stood waiting to fix the next bridge she had set fire to. Nick's approach was easy for her to catch. He never could resist a 'stay off the grass' sign. The crisp blades of grass crushed under his feet as he closed to distance to her. Turning to face him, Judy smiled. 

"Bribery coffee, really?" Nick smirked. "And here I thought I wasn't rubbing off on you anymore."

Judy gave him a forced smile and handed him his cup. She turned and they began to walk through the park at a gentle pace. Few mammals were out in the newly frosted walkways. Most would take a month to grow in their winter coats, and would simply prefer the indoors for the mean time. Both the officers wore their cozy ZPD sweatshirts. 

"I figured it couldn't hurt," Judy replied. "And besides, I had a late night."

"You drink decaf."

"So? Don't take away my placebo. I think caffeine would actually kill me."

They walked slowly, enjoying their warm beverages. It was minutes before Nick broke the silence. 

"So I hear your talking to the family again. Good on you! Fangmayer had started a rumor that you were joining a cult or something."

She looked up at the fox with a stunned look. Her mouth stood a gap. She had to catch up with him after pausing a moment. 

"Nick?! How.. What?!"

"Told you Carrots. I know everyone in this city. I have my connections."

"Nooooo no no, NO. I finished that call less than _half an hour ago_. There is simply no possible.... Wait a second." Judy's mind worked the problem. Her nose twitched away. 

Her father. He had taken the whole situation well. Too well? Perhaps. She remember the hours long arguments she used to have with him about her job choice. The man was a stubborn one. Judy had simply assumed he had grown more open minded. 

"That treacherous, no good, dirty rotten dirt rubbing..." Judy away at him. 

"Now now Office Hopps, is that any way for the 'Heroin of Zootopia' to talk about her own father," Nick questioned, his free hand drawing at arc at the name the media had used for nearly a month after the night howler case. He knew it got under her fur that he hadn't be granted any likewise title. Nick didn't mind it in the least bit. Kept his face away from the news, made him less conspicuous. 

"Nick, Dad _hates_ foxes!"

"Oh, not true! You told me so yourself, he is partnered with that jerk. Grey was his name?"

Judy walked in silence, working out how Nick had made contact. Her phone? No, Nick had never broken that line of trust with her. The phone book? Unlikely, far too many 'Hopps' in there, Nick would never manage to track them down that way.. It wasn't like Judy was an uncommon name in the burrows. 

"How..." she spoke in a soft, defeated tone. 

"You got shot," Nick said. His voice was somber. 

Judy blinked, remember the events in the past months. She had been shot. A bullet proof vest had saved her life. Caught the bullet and dispersed the force over her entire chest. Knocked her clean out at the time. She had woken up in a recovery room at a local hospital. Nick had been there. They had never talked about her parents at the time. She didn't even tell her parents until she had felt well enough to travel home as see them in person. 

"Calm that nose down before it falls off your face, Carrots," Nick always had a way of plowing through her train of thought. She concentrated on stopping her twitching nose as he continued. "I had to handle the paperwork when we got you in there. Funny thing hospitals. They run that place on more computers than they know what to do with. Little you must have had what, ten machines hooked up to you? Their records department is just as computer addicted these days I guess. They pulled your file from ZPD records. It had your whole list of emergency contact numbers on it when they asked me to sign who _I_ was."

"My dad's number was on there... Nick, that was what, three months ago?"

"A-yup," he responded popping his lips. Nick took a long swig of the slowly cooling cup in his paw. 

Judy could feel the judgment in his response. She had been out of the loop for at _least_ that long. Her parent's had never mentioned him. They never really had the chance. Being perfectly honest with herself, the whole reason she had let herself get shot in the first place was her own distractions. Her focus on the case. 

She hadn't realized they had stopped. In her head time flew by, but outside? She wasn't sure. Her arms hung limp by her sides, holding the now empty cup. Judy had screwed things up, again. She knew it. _Hey, at least this time I didn't trigger mass protest or civil unrest_ she thought. 

"I don't deserve you Nick." 

"You're right," his response was instant. Practiced. There wasn't a sign of hesitation. 

Judy looked up at him, as she felt the sudden panic. She had said the statement hoping for one of Nick's quips. Something to lighten the mood. She was totally unprepared for where the conversation had veered off to.

"You weren't the first mammal to walk out on me. You won't be the last. Thanks for the coffee." Nick turned and tossed the cup into a garbage bin as he marched away from her. 

The world had gone from a calm walk to a confusing death spiral in seconds. Her body was numb. A high pitched whine filled her ears as the fur on her face became matted with her tears.

" **Stop**!" came a voice. The biting anger of it surprised her. Her mind took a moment to realize she had yelled it in the first place. Her arms shook, despite her attempts to control them. 

To his credit, Nick stopped. His head tilted slightly, almost turning around, before snapping back to stare away from her. She closed the distance to him, standing slightly away from and behind him. 

"Nick... We can't keep doing this." 

All friends argue. Everyone has their disagreements. Judy's mind tallied the arguments they had been having. It had never occurred to her before that they had become so frequent. Sometimes things just got silent, other times Nick would leave, just get his space. Clear his head. Today was different. Today he had cut at her. All the other arguments she could remember had been civil. 

"Then let's stop. There are plenty of officers at the ZPD. I'm sure I-" 

" _No_ ," Judy barked with as much authority as she could muster through her tears. This one caught his attention, turning him around. "Nick, I don't understand what happened here. I-I think I got lost in something."

"Lost. In. _What_?" His quivered slightly, anger bubbling just under it's calm surface. She knew the walls were still there. Nick wasn't being open with her, not really. 

"You-You-You know- That- I can't- I can't tell you that." Judy's voice couldn't find the power and anger it had moments earlier. It shook as she began to sob. She fell down to her knees. Her vision traced back and forth along the patterns in the sidewalk, looking anywhere but her partner. She hated how trapped she felt.

Nick let out an elongated sigh. Looking up, he saw a worried family of rabbits standing on the same path. They stopped, and exchanged worried glances at the pair. He shook he head at them. _Now is not a good time,_ he willed at them. The mother and father looked at each other before silently deciding that this walkway wasn't the happiest place for them. They turned and left with their small collection of kits. 

Nick's attention turned back to Judy. Her frame looked defeated, her head and eyes avoiding him.

"If you can't tell me what's going on, why you have been so 'lost' in this, then why are we here Judy?" Nick knew it would cut her again. The words escaped his mouth faster than he could really process them. He wasn't even sure he regretted saying them. "You've been closed up for months. You don't share anything anymore. At least not with me. Getting shot wasn't even enough to snap you out of this... This... Whatever this is," Nick said, his arms waving around it exasperation. 

"So what is _this_?" Nick finished. His breath catching up to him in sudden puffs of white. 

Judy slumped back, sitting on her feet. Her ears plastered onto the back of her head. Feeling small felt oddly safe at the moment. Nick was meters from her, but his presence seemed to loom over her. 

"I can't help it." said said, just louder than a whisper. "I... I get focused on a goal. I get all wrapped up in the whole thing. I can't let go. It's eats at me... You know?"

She looked up. Her paw clung to the other in a death grip. They shook. His face hadn't softened in the slightest. His ears dropped as he mulled something over. 

"You're not the only one who gets eaten by things Judy." 

With that Nick turned again, sharply on his heel and was gone. 

Judy had no energy left to fight. She couldn't remember the last full night of sleep she had. It was draining. Her emotional reserves had run flat on her. Try as she might, even crying was an effort. The family of rabbits approached her unnoticed. Judy flinched as the mother sat a paw on he shoulder. 

"You okay miss?" 

She kept her face pointing down. She was still recognized too much. A headline in the tabloids about an abusive fox in her life was all she needed right now. 

"Yeah. I'm okay," she lied standing up and walking away from them. She could hear the quick pattering of feet behind her. They shifted, probably confused. Judy just wanted to get away. 

She broke into a run. Her mind wondered where that empty cup had gone to. _Suppose I'll give myself a littering citation later._ Time washed away for her, mammals passed in their busy lives around her. The park gave way to streets. Judy's mind was on full autopilot. She pushed her body until the numbness gave way to pain. The pain was welcoming. It reminded her that she could still feel. 

Somehow she found herself panting, standing in front of the ZPD's first precinct. _He will know what to do..._ she thought, half walking, half hobbling through the friendly front doors.

* * *

#### 1 PM, ZPD Precinct 1 Offices

Judy stood before the full sized door. Her mind still couldn't figure out what she was expecting to find in the room. The Chief wasn't the most caring mammal on the force. 

_I could go talk to Francine! She will know what to do about Nick!_ She thought to herself. 

" **Hopps**!" came a bellowing roar from beyond the wood and glass door. "Get your pathetic tail in here, _now_!"

 

Her head instantly twisted to look down over the atrium. Clawhauser sat at the front desk, animately trying to look busy. Trying and failing. _Traitor,_ she thought. Any other day she would have jeered at him. She closed her eyes and leaned heavily against the door, pushing it open. 

Again the numbness struck at her. She found herself on a chair not remembering having gotten up onto it. 

"Hellooooo...." said the Chief. His tone a mixture of sarcasm and annoyance. "Are you here to keep me company officer, or can I take some more time out of my otherwise empty day to help you?" His hoof waved over the hill of paperwork at his desk. 

It wasn't often he could actually catch Judy speechless. Her face wandered from the papers, to him and her twiddling paws. 

_Oh shit, not today Hopps. This cannot happen today,_ Bogo lamented to himself. He had seen this before. Judy had been knocked down a peg, by _something_. Today was the last day on the planet that he wanted to deal with it. 

His posture slumped and relaxed. 

"What happened." he said, putting on the most caring voice he could muster. His face hung with the signs of sleep deprivation. 

"I... I think I might have hurt Nick-" 

The response was instant. "I can't have this today Hopps," he said as his fingers swiftly hammered away at the numbers desk phone. The speaker rang as they sat in silence. 

"Hello, you've reached the voice mailbox of 'Nicholas Wil'-" 

Judy jumped in her seat as the phone exploded. The chief had brought an angry hoof down and simply shattered it. Bits and pieces showered the room in a sudden chorus of broken electronics and plastic. All at once they sat in silence. Her eyes plastered open, locked onto him. 

For his part, the chief seemed surprised at the destruction he had wrought. His face mirrored Judy's, eyes wide and mouth agape. Composing himself, he snapped to a smile. She couldn't tell if it was genuine or practiced. In one motion he pushed most of the remaining phone bits off the side of his desk into a rubbish bin, extracted a duplicate model from a drawer in his desk, and plugged it in. 

He snorted. "You know the rules of your case Hopps. We don't talk about it." His face became cold, willing her to remember what he referred to. "No help, you're on your own."

She could only nod back at him. 

"This is not a good time for you and Officer Wilde to be having a falling out. This is the _exact_ reason the department frowns on relationships at the workplace."

"What? Nick and I aren't- We don't- We aren't _in_ a relationship! He is my partner!"

The buffalo's expression relaxed, his mouth open slightly . 

"You're shitting me..." he said.

Judy offered him a confused and worried expression. "No?"

"You're telling me, you and Wilde _aren't_... Anything?"

"No?" Judy replied, stretching the word out. Her mind kicked into gear all at once. _What is he talking about? Why does this matter? What does this have to do with the case? Why does he think we are a thing? Does everyone think that? Did Clawhauser start this rumor? Did Nick start this rumor? Do mom and dad know? What in crackers name is he talking about?_ The questioned raced on. 

His elbows landed on the table with an audible pound. His face pressed into his comparatively tiny hooves. "This is how I die. _You_ are how I will meet my end Officer Hopps. I'm not sure exactly how, or when, but you will be responsible for my death." He paused to let his words sink in. 

"I cannot fathom what you have managed to go an do this time. Frankly I really don't care, but this need to be fixed, _now_. You're not even supposed to be here today. Go home, fix this with Nick. Do _not_ be late for your _appointment_ tonight, clear?"

Judy blinked at him. Her eyes felt burnt, dry and angry. 

"Chief... You said we were in a, relationship? I want to be clear here that-"

Again he interrupted. 

"I don't care or have time for this Hopps, **out, now**!" he barked, his hoof sternly indicating his door. 

Judy turned to the door, the rest of her body stayed put. She considered it for a moment, before shaking her head. 

"No more lies. Not with him. I can't fix this if he doesn't know sir. I have to tell him. That or I need an out." Her mind raced, trying to find a reason for her words. Nick had just said he was done with her. Why was she _fighting_ for him now?

The Chief sat, snorting with each exhale. His glared seemed to challenge her, looking for her to crack, panic and run from the office. She stood her ground with conviction.

"Fine. Bring him with you. _Don't be late_. And clean yourself up. You look like someone dragged you across the harbor."

She was unsure if this was a victory on a punishment. His voice didn't offer her any hints on the matter. 

"Okay..." Judy quickly found herself walking outside. Now she at least had a goal. Find him, convince him to come with her. Surly tonight would help them understand. Bogo had offered answers.

* * *

#### 5 PM, Nick Wilde's Apartment

Judy sat against the door to Nick's apartment. She had long since given up on knocking. The neighbors had yelled at her, twice, to go away or they would call in a noise complaint. The irony of being reported right now was not lost on her. The threat of her boss smashing her like a desk phone flashed before her eyes. 

Her back now pressed against the door. Every few seconds her head would thump against the wood. It was a cathartic feeling, almost like a heartbeat. 

Thump... Thump... Thump...

Academy training had included basic first responder training. Simple stuff really, helped to identify who needed help fastest. They had practiced finding the heartbeat of various species.

Five to one. That was the ratio of the elephant to her own at rest. Her fingers pressed into her wrist as she counted the rapid thumping. 

One-two-three-four-five. Thump. Her head gently bumped the door again. 

The activity gave something to do in her boredom. Her phone had died an hour ago. Judy left messages on Nick's voice mail until it wouldn't accept anymore. The all blurred together in her mind. Some were angry, others calm. She had cried her way through at least two of them. 

Thump.

Now she sat. She had nowhere else to look. The thought had crossed her mind to reach out to some of her less scrupulous contacts. The thought of confronting an angry Mr. Big didn't sound all that pleasant to her for the moment. Everyone seemed to be pissed at her today. 

_Lets just not risk the Bigs'_ she thought. 

Thump.

"You know, there was a time when foxes used to eat rabbits," came an annoyed voice from the other side of the door frame. "I am pretty sure my ancestors used to camp outside your warrens. Gives this situation a sense of irony, eh?" 

Judy looked up with a perplexed look as the door latch suddenly triggered. Instantly the support of the door vanished allowing her to topple backwards over the threshold into his room. 

"Hey!" she cried out as her head impacted his hard wooden floor. 

Nick sat against his wall. His face had no smug look on it. It was blank, protected. 

Judy jumped to her feet, instantly feeling the floorboards creak under her light footprint. 

"How... How did you walk across this without me _hearing_ it?!" she asked. She tested the floor again, causing it to squeak with every shift of her movement. 

Nick sighed, stood up and closed the door. He walked across the creaking floor to sit in a wooden chair in the middle of the room. He slide it forward to rest his paws on it.

"I moved the last time the neighbors yelled at you to go away."

Judy blinked, taking a moment to take in the room. Pipes lined his ceilings, more than a few slowly leaked into various pots and pans around the room. The furniture was scarce. Not all of it was really sized for a fox. A doorway sat on the other side of the room, only half of its hinges attached leaving it off kilter. 

A rushing of water overhead was joined as one of the apparent sewer lines rocked back and forth. Judy was shocked. Her own apartment was small, functional, just about right for her needs. 

This? This was a shit hole. Oddly enough it was at least clean. The floor was dust free, and with the exception of the pots and pans littering the floor everything was in order. 

"Nick... Why... Why-"

"Why do I live in a shitty hole in the wall that wouldn't meet habitation code if you bought off all of city hall?" He shrugged. "I lived here back when I used to con. It was hard then for predators to find housing. Hell, still is. The rent is cheap, and the landlord didn't ask questions if you paid cash. Oh, and on time. I guess I never really..."

Nick drew a long breath. 

"I never really moved on. Even when cash became a little easier to rely on."

Judy walked across the creaking floor, dodging the various dripping streams of water. She took the only other chair at the table. 

"Nick. You made... You made a _lot_ of money back then."

"Yup," he said with a pop. "And most of that went to people I'd previously scammed. You don't survive in that business without making a few enemies. Lucky for me most of them would let you go, for a price." His voice was calm, the words lacked inflection as he spoke. It sounded distant, narrated. 

The clock in the room ticked loudly as they sat in silence. The drips of the room formed an odd choir of rhythms and notes. 

"They yelled at me over an hour ago..."

"mhmmm" he responded. 

"Nick, you sat there for an _hour_."

"So did you, what of it?" Nick asked dismissively. "I wanted to know if when you were gone. Then I knew I could at least turn my phone back on."

Judy blinked at him. Her face was tired from the day, and her eyes still burned. 

"We need to talk," she said.

His paw clenched into fists, only for a moment. The walls snapped back up. His feelings scampered away behind them, protected from her prying eyes. 

"Then talk. But after this, you're gone. I want you out, I want you to leave, and I want you to never return to this apartment."

Her mouth opened several times before she could finally spit it out. 

"Okay. That's... That would be okay," she paused. It took her a second to summon the mental wherewithal to continue. Emotions churned in her gut, begging to be let out. "You told me in the park. You said that I walked away from you?"

"I told you that you weren't the _first_ or the last." Nick's voice remained cool and flat. 

"I didn't... Walk away from you Nick. I just had-"

"The hell you didn't fluff." Nick leaned forward abruptly, slapping a paw on the table to drive his point home. "I'm willing to talk _but cut the crap._ You ditched me the moment something better came along."

Judy listened with wide eyes, her ears plastered to her the back of her head. Her chest heaved a once and relaxed. The well was dry it seemed, no more tears. 

"Tell me what's going on here Nick," she spoke with careful and tentative words. 

His expression cracked, confusion slipped in. 

"Tell _you_ what's going on? Last I counted fluff, you were the one holding all the cards here. You don't share anymore, we all play this game of yours without any _hints_ ," he said. His tone slipped, becoming irritated as he went. 

Judy looked at him as his arms cross his chest and he leaned away from her. 

"I went and talked to Bogo. He said something about... Something about us being togeth-"

Nick stood harshly. The chair scraping an irate tone across the old wooden boards. 

"That's what this is all about? I didn't think you were here just to _fuck_ with me Judy." He spat the words angrily. He turned and walk deeper into his apartment. "Don't let the door hit your-"

"Would you just stop!" Judy finally found the anger that had been hiding from her. Her words spat out with a controlled fury. "Would you stop just _walking away_ from me every time I try to fix this? Okay, maybe I did walk out of your life. I didn't _mean_ to do it Nick! I didn't _see_ it! But it's not like you ever told me. It's not like you ever let me know that this friendship wasn't working out for you!"

She panted. The clock and pots quietly sang their tune, oblivious to the heavy, awkward air that now hung in the room. The floor creaked as Nick turned and stood facing her. 

"What do you mean, you didn't know?" his voice sounded off. Pained even. 

"Know what?! Everyone seems to see something that I don't! Yes, Judy Hopps is an idiot. She misses things. She gets to close to the surface to see the big picture. I'm _sorry_ okay?! No I don't _know_. Okay?"

Silence. A muffled curse came from the room adjacent. Neither acknowledged it as they stared on another now. 

"I fell for you Judy," Nick started, his voice quiet a defeated. "All those nights? Those late coffee deliveries while you worked away at... At... Whatever it is you thought was more important. Those runs every bloody morning when I was barely awake enough to stand, let alone keep up. What was all of that to you? What did that all tell you?"

Again Judy felt the sudden urge to be small. Hidden and away. Her mind flashed up a mental map of the room, pointed out all the safe corners and hide aways she might run to. How could she have missed all of that? Months of innocent comments flooded into her mind. Things she had said, and things he had said too. It was all in good fun right? They were friends?

"I thought you were my friend Nick... We were just friends... Friends do nice things for-for each other." 

Judy stuttered. She couldn't seem to totally catch her breath. She felt winded. Nick slumped. 

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. I got a lot of friends Judy. Now they aren't all the best people, but they are still my friends. And not a single one of them put in half the effort I did to support you."

"Nick, what _am_ I to you?" Her heart pounded at the question. A day earlier Nick was a rock in her world. No matter the storm it was a place to cling to, unmoving, unyielding. Suddenly she felt more adrift then safe. Her rock wasn't there, it was missing. 

Nick's face finally cracked. Pain filled his eyes, his ears flattened back. 

"Don't ask me that."

"Nick, dammit. Stop this bullshit hiding from me in plain sight." Judy hopped of the chair, quickly covering the distance to stand before him. "You want me to stop holding all the cards? Fine. But you can't hold your hand while asking me to put mine down on the table."

Nick allowed himself to gentle fall backwards, landing on his hindquarters with a thud. He leaned his weight against his knees. 

"I told you already Judy. I fell for you."

Judy tilted her head, her eyes squinting as she tried to understand him. 

"I just- And... And then you just... You weren't there. You walked away."

"I'm not just a friend to you. Am I."

Nick's face shook gently from side to side. 

"Nick... I didn't see... Didn't know... Your my best friend here but... I just missed it?" Her paws mingled together, looking for something meaningful to do. 

"And you always saw us as just friends." Nick turned, twisting to rest on his knees and stand up. 

Judy's anger boiled over. She put her paws against Nick's back and shoved him, _hard_. His face instantly impacted the door frame. He twisted again to shove his back against the wall. Confused and angry at the sudden attack. His ears flattened as the angry bunny stood before him like a tiny wrathful god. 

"Dammit Nick! Damn you to hell. You and your fucking stupid smirks. Your walls and half truths. Damn all of it!" Judy broiled with anger. The emotional turmoil of the day showing through her voice as it stretched and cracked at her works. "You never open up! You sit there and you hide away. Months of my life, you just sit there and _lie to my face_. And for what? For this? Do you get off on crushing someone and walking away like everyone else allegedly does?! Damn you Nick!"

Judy panted, doubling over and resting her hands on her knees. She wondered when the last time she had eaten was. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Judy I-"

She snapped back to attention, all pretense of sickness gone. 

"I'm not _done_ Nick!" she cried out. "You play your damned mind games and then have the _audacity_ to throw it back in my face. I risked everything on you Nick. I put my name behind yours to get that badge on your chest. I told them chief that if you weren't my partner, I'd walk. Being a police officer was all I have ever dreamed or wanted, and I put that on the line for _you_. Now I turned around and find you hiding your feelings? The fuck Nick! What the actual fuck do you think you are pulling here?"

Judy paused for a moment. Her breaths drew quickly, her paws were drawn into tight angry balls. She could feel her ears burning as blood rushed through them. Instincts cried out for her to stop this. They were ignored. 

"I was never given a chance! You decided you wanted more from me, and _never told me!_ How was I supposed to know! You just decided that you get to feel however you want, and kept me in the dark! I never got to make my own mind how I might feel about this whole... This whole... Whatever this is!"

She sat down on her knees, the panting finally catching up to her. The nausea came back with a vengeance. The room spun around her.

"Nick, I've never considered this before now. My whole life was an arrow, pointed right at the ZPD. My relationships were short flashes of passion and then poof, gone. Romance wasn't really something I could ever settle into. I just didn't have the energy to devote to them. And now you just... Just... Throw it back into my face because I didn't how how I felt."

"Judy what are you saying?" Nick asked, his voice insecure. "Do you have... Do you feel for me?"

"No! Yes? I don't know! Nick, I..." she trailed off to collect her thoughts. "I don't know. Five minutes ago I thought I had stepped on some unforeseeable land mine in your life, and that you just didn't trust me. Now you're... In to me I guess? I'm lost Nick."

They sat, giving the clock time to tick away at them again. 

"It's alright Judy. It's not like a rabbit could love-"

"Nicholas P. Wilde. If you want to survive today, if you ever want to see the sun rise again, if you _ever_ expect to crack another single damned joke, you will _not_ finish that sentence."

Nick recoiled and tilted his head. Judy continued, not allowing her momentum to die. 

"You don't _get_ to tell me what I cannot do. Don't you _dare_ tell me what I can and cannot do. Not today. I don't know what I want, okay? I don't know if you're it or if you're not. I just don't know. Bogo was the first person to even give me a hint that there was more... Here," she said, waving a paw between them. "It's humiliating enough for your boss to drop that on you. Now you sit here looking to run and fucking hide every time I start to explain myself. Just... Stop okay? Just... Just let me... Let me..."

The day finally caught up to her. The running, the crying, the outbursts. She thought she had kept it in. Taken it in and left it somewhere safe. The nausea had almost left her. It returned to her with an unexpected surge of potency. Judy fell forward onto her paws. 

With a wretch her stomach tried to empty itself onto the floor. Only drolly, thin bile came up. Her body tingled as she heaved again, the putrid smell filling her nose. She shook as the need to just let all out overtook her small frame. Judy's body went rigid with every heave. 

A bowl had appeared under her. It sat atop pool of spreading vomit. Nick stood next to her, offering a comforting paw on her back. 

"There there, let it out Judy. Just let it out."

Another heave. 

"You know, I covered my floor in pots. You could have at least had the decency to _try_ and hit one," he offered, trying lighten the mood. 

Judy gave as much of a laugh as she could. It came separated with fierce hiccups. It felt good to have gotten everything out of her system. She sniffled, ruffling her nose at the foul smell. 

Seeing she was hopefully done trying to paint the floor, Nick brought a warm wet towel to her face. Judy didn't remember how he had gotten it. She looked up as he dabbled and patted away what he could from the fur on her face. He shook his head at the few dribbles of stains on her shirt. 

"You look like death Carrots."

"It's... It's been a day." Judy gave a forced half heart smile. It was all she could muster in the moment. 

Nick began to mop up the floor with the towel. 

"Listen Nick..."

"If you need to forget this conversation happened..." he offered. 

Her paw reached out to his arm. It felt warm, strong... Comforting to hold onto right now. 

"No! Nick. No... Just... Just give me some time okay? I don't want you to feel alone. You deserve better then that. Better than me apparently."

Nick responded with a glare and a subtle growl. "Don't say that Judy."

"But. It's true Nick. I've let you down." A hiccup caught her off guard. Both laughed, as mood continued to finally relax. "But I wanna make that up. I want to fix this."

He stood up, placing the towel into the bowl and disappearing behind the broken door. 

"I'm not sure this needs fixing," his voice echoing through the doorway. 

"You and I both know that's a lie Nick. You can't _hide_ from this. Not now. It's out there, in the open. We... I think we need to work on this."

"What did you have in mind?" he called. 

"Would you kill me if I told you that I have a time and date, but not a clue what we would be doing?"

After a few moments a curious face appeared from the doorway. Judy finally noticed the slight bulge above his eye. _The doorway... Shit! How hard did I push him!?_

"Nick, my gods, I'm sorry!" She tried to stand. Too quickly. Instantly the stumbled forward as he caught her. 

"Woah there tiger. Relax, it's just a bump. I'll live. Well, maybe not as long," he trailed off with a smirk. 

Judy nodded and pressed her face to into him. Again, his stature felt comforting and warm. She closed her eyes, pressing an ear him, to listen to his heart beat. It raced. It thundered away far faster than she expected. Shaking her head she looked up at him. 

"I don't suppose you have a shower I could borrow?" Judy said looking up at him. 

"That depends. When and what is this appointment of yours?"

"Its at eleven tonight, I know the place. Chief wants both of us there and... Clean," she half lied. Sure the Chief wanted _her_ there. He seemed to only accept Nick's presence as a means to get her out of his office faster. 

"And at this appointment with our boss, we are doing what exactly?"

Judy shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me, but it would me a lot to me if you were there with me."

"Down the hall on the left. Can't miss it."

Her face contoured, confused. 

"The shower Judy, it's down there. Watch the hot water, it's fresh off the boiler next door."

Judy nodded and took a few shaky steps as her balance returned. 

"One crisis down," she thought to herself as a shower blasted her with steamy water. "Just need to survive that meeting with Bogo..." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, this chapter was a huge trend setter for the relationship for a while to come. There are clearly some issues brought up that aren't going to fade away quickly or easily. If your not into that sort of slow healing angst, this **might** not be the story for you. Sorry!
> 
> Putting out another call for anyone who enjoys beta reading or editing. You can drop me an email (It's my author name @gmail.com), or leave a message to get in contact that way. What ever works. I'm just looking for constructive eyes and maybe someone who enjoys giving more directed feedback!
> 
> Comments and critiques are ALWAYS welcome. If I've made a goof you can't live with, let me know. It's the only way I get better! Plus comments feed us sappy terrible authors.
> 
> **Update** (07/30/2016): The previous chapter has about doubled in length to help fill in some missing gaps in the story. Things just jumped too much without the fill in.


	4. Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update tonight. Nothing major. 
> 
> Of note however, if someone missed the update last chapter, is that Chapter 02 was extended. A lot, more then doubled in length to help piece together things.

* * *

#### 9 PM, Judy Hopps' Apartment

Judy tossed her bile stained shirt aside, quickly retrieving another pastel blue duplicate from her neatly sorted drawer. Eying the pile of laundry wearily, she wonders when she will have time to do laundry now. The day had a plan. Talk to parents, talk to Nick, take care of the house, take care of errands, meet Bogo. 

Now it had all gone to manure on her. Talking to Nick had thrown her world into a spin. Not twelve hours earlier he had been a safe harbor in the storm that was Zootopia. It's unforgiving winds blew her wherever they please. Nick, other the other hand, always grounded her. He was always a place to return and be happy with. Judy was unsure what Nick was now. She felt the same nervousness about him that she did on the first meeting. 

Nick had become an unknown to her. Judy let out a slow, controlled sigh. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself Hopps," she spoke to to the empty room. "Things with Nick will work. Somehow. They always do. They have to."

Reaching behind her desk she grasped and flipped her cork board off the wall. Her face hung in disbelief. The board should have been been covered in photos. Tacked strings. Hand written notes. All the clues and hints she had dug up from the case. 

It sat empty. The imprints of the various tacks were still clearly visible in the soft pliable surface.

She knew this should enrage her. Months of hard work were gone. Idly she looked around her small room. Nothing else was amiss. Nothing was gone. Everything was in its neat and ordered place. Rather than rage, indifference ruled her feelings. 

Reaching into her pocket she retrieved the only item she had kept on her person. A printed report from booking her suspect. Stamped by the intake officer when she had dumped him off for medical care. The only remaining thread she had. 

Outside, rain began to gently pelt the window. The wind pushed it against the glass in awkward gusts. Gentle rolling thunder joined in a soothing chorus. 

Judy sat, and watched the rain go by.

* * *

#### 10 PM, Zootopia Transit Station

Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps stood in silence on the cool concrete platform as their train arrived. They took their seats, transferred twice, and found themselves in the heart of the Rainforest District. 

"You've grown up on me fluff."

Judy looked up at him. Normally the compliment would have brightened her face. She felt drained. A gentled nudge to his hip was all she could manage. It felt more natural than saying nothing. 

"No really, the old Carrots I knew would have _extorted_ me into coming here. I think you actually asked my nicely."

The memory of shoving Nick into the door returned to Judy. _Nice-ish_ she said to herself. 

They shared a single oversize umbrella as they wandered across the various paths and rope bridges. Judy navigated them easily. Nearly a month of her investigation had been spent in the area. She turned the final corner to the unmarked door where this had all started. Or at least where Bogo had kicked her off on the wild chase through the city.

Judy stopped. She stood blinking at the doorway. It loomed. The doorway felt like it wasn't meant to be opened. Her ears stood at full attention. She expected to hear the usual din of the bar inside. Judy only heard silence. 

"You with us Carrots?" Nick asked, waving a paw to break her death stare. 

"Something is wrong."

Nick's relaxed domineer vanished in an instant. With a curt nod he approached the door from the side. Judy stepped carefully opposite him, pressed her ear against the opposite side of the door frame. Her posture was slack, it stood in harsh contrast to her partner. Nick knew this kind of place. His days working with the Bigs had brought him into many such establishments. Judy being off her game did nothing for his nerves. 

"I got... Nothing," he said after taking a careful sniff to the edge of the door. 

"Okay, let's... Let's go care-"

"No Judy. I didn't mean I don't know what's going on. That room is _clean_. I don't smell anything under that door. You said this place was a bit of a dive right?"

She nodded back. 

"I should smell... Well a lot. Beer, blood, vomit, maybe food? A place like this should hurt to poke your nose into. This door? It's clean."

Judy looked down and took a careful breath.

"I don't know what else we do Nick."

She gave him a final forced, small smile before stepping out. Centering herself with the door she pressed in. 

Nick hadn't lied. What before had been a lively bar was now barren. The room looked bleached. The wood shined unnaturally. The bar was devoid of any bottles, glasses or anything else. The chairs and stools were all missing. The room was about as clean as someone could hope to make it. 

Footsteps. Hoofed. Judy looked to see the chief walk from the storeroom door. He huffed to catch Nick's attention and snapped a nod for them to follow. 

Entering the door they found themselves in a mostly emptied store room. Shelving units stacked against the walls, making room for a cheap card table, and four chairs. 

Sitting at the far edge of the table, a black furred wolf. The same mammal she had darted, and left in a cell. 

"You?" Judy said meekly. "What? But... How?"

He sat comfortably in his chair, smiling at them. Distinctly not in handcuffs. He idly twiddled a lollipop in his mouth and waved at them. 

"If it isn't the dynamic duo!" the wolf half spoke, half cheered. 

"Can it Tower," the buffalo silenced him as he sat next to him at the table. 

Both of them eyed the fox and bunny pair as they joined them slowly and cautiously at the table. They all sat in silence for a few moments as Bogo rubbed his temples. 

"Judy. I want this to be clear," he began. "Were it my choice, you would not be here. Despite your public success, a lot of what you have done in the past has been more luck than skill. You're wet behind the ears, and I'd rather you _not_ step into the deep end."

Judy's head nodded slowly. 

"Always a charmer eh boss?" Nick offered. 

His hoofs dropped to the table. 

"Shut. Your. Mouth. _Wilde_. You're here on her good word, nothing more. Do us all a favor and be seen, not _heard_."

Nick's smirk relaxed to a calm exterior. He nodded and sat back in his chair. 

"Let's be clear. This meeting? Never happened. Tower here? Never arrested. You two wanted a quiet place to talk over your troubles and wondered here, only to find the bar having been closed. A nice boring night where nothing interesting happened."

Both officers nodded. 

Bogo drew a deep breath. 

"The room we are officially _not_ in right now, was until very recently, a safe house and information exchange for an organization known as SCAR." 

A piece of paper with the organization's logo was slid across the table to them. 

"SCAR exists outside of the law. Very few public figures are made aware of our existence, and fewer are aware of our operations here in Zootopia. Your continued freedom as citizens will now be dependent on that secrecy. You so much as whisper our name to someone, you will spend the rest of your natural lives in a country I cannot pronounce, wondering what the weather is like back home. Understood?"

Another set of nods. 

"Sir, if I may?" Judy asked. The logo on the paper have the name as a acronym. "What does SCAR stand for, exactly?"

The wolf joined the conversation. 

"That love, would be Security Containment Analysis and Restriction."

Bogo snorted and continued. 

"SCAR, simply put, keeps you and I safe at night. They identify, capture, study, understand, and if needed, destroy anything that may be an excessive threat to society. Six months ago, you two nearly breached one of their clandestine operations."

Judy stared at the paper, piecing together what that meant. The breach at the ZPD. The attack, they had been... Redirected? By Bogo?

"But... Y-You were. You were attacked," she stuttered out. 

"No, I was not. What you saw was what you needed to see. Tower was a decoy. The knife was his yes, but my wound was superficial and self inflicted."

Seeing Judy ask no further questions, Bogo continued. 

"Tower was ordered to lead you away from the operation long enough for the cargo to be contained and transported." His head rotated to stare directly at Judy. "Then you decided to do what you do best. Take something easy and make it impossible." 

"Sir?" Judy asked. 

"The operation was a ploy. An attempt to garner information. Operatives contained every angle, with the exception of yours. Every attempt to shy you away only strengthened your desire to pry where you had no business. Order's came to my desk. Deal with you, or remove you.

"Getting rid of you wasn't really an option. Public figure disappears? Who knows who or what you had told someone about your investigation into the precinct. It was a can of worms. Instead we aimed for a more... Ethical response. Tower was assigned a long term goal to keep you on the run."

Judy's head rotated gentle to the smiling wolf. 

"Six months of my life. Countless hours. It was a, what, game?"

"Oh no love, this was a job." Tower replied. 

"You should be proud Hopps," Bogo said. "I figured a two mammal team was enough to handle your investigation. As of now there are currently no less than five SCAR agents assisting Tower here to keep you one step behind."

His voice was laden with sarcasm. It was no compliment. Judy looked down at her paws. 

"Why?" she asked just over a whisper. 

"Because as much joy as it would bring me to see you fail flat on your face Hopps, you refuse to quit," Bogo offered, his tone softening. "And because I knew that someday I feared this would come in."

He took a folder from the top of his stack and toss it across the table. It slid to a stop in front of her. 

Opening it, she found what looked like any ordinary letter head, with the exception of the 4 letters circular logo at the top proudly reading "SCAR". Terms were simple. Four and five day weeks on an alternating schedule. Expected medical benefits. Expectations of secrecy, most of which Bogo had already explained. Hazard pay?

"What is this sir?"

"If you take it, it's your new job. Well, until this all settles down."

"But, my work at the ZPD?"

"Suspended until your return. If anyone asks, you're out for special training. The city won't ever see you leave it's payroll. Truthfully you would now answer directly to SCAR until your project is complete."

"Project?" Judy asked. 

Bogo offered a curt snort. "That's classified Judy. You aren't likely to ever see the full truth of what you are being asked to participate in. What I can tell you is this. SCAR does not reach out and bring in external agents often. When they do? It's for a reason. They don't think they have time to get you through the regular channels.

"If they are asking for you as a provisional agent? It's important. Mammals lives are at stake. They may be asking you to put your life in front of someone that SCAR thinks needs protection. I don't even know the full breadth of what you are getting into.

"The only way _you_ are going to get into this?" he pointed to the paper. "Sign that and see where the rabbit hole goes."

Judy looked over the paper carefully. 

"What about Nick?" she asked. 

"Nick is officially not involved at this time."

"And all this? It's all classified? Need to know kinda stuff?" she pried further. 

Bogo simply nodded his head. 

"I decline." She slid the folder back to him. "I'm not losing my best friend to lies, not again."

The buffalo pushed the folder back to her, took the next one off the pile and slid it to Nick. He held his hoof open to the wolf, who angrily slapped a wad of bills into it. 

"Let it never be said that you are _completely_ unpredictable Hopps. What Nick is holding isn't an offer of employment, but it is a contract. He agrees to cooperate with security measures deemed necessary by our field agents. You two get a secure line. All your phone now come from us, same with laptops, and any other electric devices you purchase. Agree to that, and you get to disclose whatever you want."

"No lying?" Judy asked with a suspicious look. 

"I would encourage you to use discretion on what you disclose Hopps. I told you, SCAR isn't in the business of making friends. If you are a threat, they will remove you."

Nick carefully read through the paper before asking. 

"Why do I get the feeling that we are going to be bugged regardless of what I sign tonight?"

"Because you already have. Both of your apartments were targeted today."

Judy and Nick gave each other the same tired, worried stare. Before either could ask, Bogo answered. 

"I don't give two hoots what you two do on your off hours. Your rooms aren't on an lines that I need, _nor want_ access to. They will be monitored by a separate group and I am more then happy of that fact. Alls this contact does is assure SCAR of your intent to cooperate."

"And my _privacy_?" Nick asked, clearly offended. 

"Work with us," the buffalo paused looking back and forth at the two before continuing. "Privacy is easier to get than you might think, but only if you don't give them something to hunt for. SCAR isn't the bogeyman here, they just want Zootopia safe. They want to keep _all_ mammals safe if they can. Take it from someone on the inside."

The pair looked at each other. They seemed to mull the offer back and forth. 

"Chief, Judy has had a long day. Can she-"

"No," came the instant reply. "If you're in, it's now or never. Whatever hit the fan, its time sensitive. If you say yes, you are gone by the end of the weekend."

"Gone?" came their joint question. 

"Hopps' work will have her working well outside of the city. She will be provided transportation. Now what is it gonna be Hopps? You in?" 

Judy let out a sigh. She had made promises to Nick to help fix things. But this? This offer was _answers_. This would tell her what was going on. Clear her head. Months of time were invested in this case, she needed answers.

"Chief, I need five minutes, _alone_ with Nick," Judy felt a wind of energy in her voice. She had purpose again, something to drive to. It had been only hours of being lost without one, but the feely felt fresher than she imagined. 

The stack of papers, save their two offers, was promptly shoveled into a bag. Both the wolf and buffalo stood and left the room.

"You have five minutes Hopps, not a second more." 

As they door closed they could hear the beginnings of a radio call. Judy ignored the distraction and turned to Nick. 

"Nick. I. I cannot just..."

"Take the offer Carrots."

She blinked in surprise. 

"How can you say that? After today?"

"Easy. Just had to speak the words." he said, his cool exterior returning to him. 

_He is avoiding this, thinking I will just take the bait_ she thought. 

"Hogwash," Judy said with a measured tone. "You were willing to walk away from me _forever_ not twelve hours ago Nick. Now this? I need the truth, and we don't exactly have time to beat around the bush."

Nick allowed his head to fall back and bob against the pull of his neck. 

"Okay, okay Judy. How's about this. I promise you, under my solemn word, that we just, oh I dunno, put this on pause for now."

"No"

"Excuse me?" Nick asked, holding back a chuckle. "What's your angle here. Are we dropping everything, are we pretending it never happened, what?"

"Stop trying to _run_ from this Nick. I promised you I'd figure this out, and I will. Look, they promise me weekends back home right? So what if you promise me one day a week. Saturdays? Let's take Saturdays. No work, no other plans. Just... Well this."

The tips of Nick's ears twitched as he considered the offer. 

"That has to be the most corny way I've ever heard someone try to start something. But sure, Deal. We start tomorrow?"

"We start tomorrow," Judy agreed. 

_Finally we are making progress_ thought Judy. 

_She bought it, we can hammer it out tomorrow, and then it's over. Finally I can move on._ thought Nick. 

Judy smiled, placing a paw on his arm. The moment sat in the room with a warm presence. Things just kept falling into place, one problem down after another. 

They signed the paperwork and joined the two outside. 

Bogo carefully looked over both before stuffing them into his accordion bag. 

"You will receive an address to be at and a time. Do not be late, do not bring _guests_ Hopps."

Without so much as a goodbye he left, stomping through the odd puddles of water that had formed from the rain.

Nick turned to her. Unsure of the proper etiquette for such a rushed farewell. Judy tossed him her keys, landing square on his chest as he hurriedly caught them. 

"So, any other plans tonight?" she said, her eyes more alive than he had seen in a long time. 

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather head out. I need to clear some things up for myself."

Judy nodded. 

The wolf rolled his head impatiently. "Don't miss your pickup rabbit. Keep away was fun, but I don't like doing the chasing."

Judy opened her arms to her friend. His arms wrapped around and held her. 

_To warm, cool yourself Wilde. You know where this ends,_ he thought as they released. 

With a smile, Judy vanished into the rain of the night. Nick sat in the shade of the building, the rain soaking his legs and feet as it splashed. 

He flipped his phone out. Not even midnight yet. Bars would still be open for a few hours. He loosened his shoulders as he walked. 

_Regular haunts should be open a few more hours_ , Nick thought. With his mind made up, he disappeared into the dark underbelly of the Rainforest District. There, he would find something to replace the hole he now felt in his chest. Something to hide from the inevitable rejection he knew was approaching. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to be a ton of fun. Not to spoil to much, but the kids gloves are gonna come off. It's going to be a ride!
> 
> As always, reviews are so appreciated. The feedback I've already received has been fantastic and I look forward to hearing more. What did you love, what did you hate? Share it all! Don't hold back either, I would much rather learn than be lied to. If I am bad at something, let me know!
> 
> Again I am putting a call out for anyone who enjoys beta reading or light editing. I really just want a second set of eyes to help look things over for really stupid mistakes.


	5. Catch Up

#### 8 AM, Zootopia, The Grand Pangolin Arms

Judy Hopps sat on the stoop of her building. Her phone sat in her paws, her feet tapping away happily as she waited for her partner to reply. The crisp fall air caused her quick breaths to puff clouds into the air. The rain had stopped sometime in the night, but angry grey clouds threatened to renew their attack on the city. 

After minutes of waiting the indicator for the text finally switched to a typing message. And it held there. Judy's face became more and more annoyed as she waited. Nick was not one to write her long messages. They were short, and quipy. Finally a message came. 

'too early. bring coffee'

She let out a long sigh. Judy half expected a small paragraph of, something. She wasn't really sure what. 

She stood and began her jog to Nick's apartment. Shortcuts through the city would have her there in less than an hour. 

The concrete and steel jungle felt welcoming, familiar. Zootopia had a heart beat all it's own. Serving as a police officer kept her ear close to that rhythm. When the city suffered, they were first to the scene. If times were good, they relaxed with it. Her new job was going to take her well into the unknown. Away from all this familiar cold concrete. 

Judy pushed herself through the stinging cold of the morning air. She felt distance from those around her. Bogo's words echoed in the back of her mind. "On the books, you're just in training." She hadn't lost her job at the ZPD, not really. This position was temporary, she was sure of it. With time they would no longer need her, and she could come back home. Again she would dive into the jungle. Again she could work every day to make the city a better place. 

Her mind wondered what SCAR would have her doing. Would it make the world a better place? Bogo seemed to imply it. Judy wondered if it was worth the risk. 

_There has to be a reason they want me there. I wouldn't be there without a reason,_ Judy assured herself as she stopped outside of the coffee shop near Nick's home. Entering the shop she joined the line. 

Normally Judy was happy to talk to anyone she could in these sorts of situations. Something pulled at her today. A quiet voice in the back of her head. She bit her lip and stood in silence. 

Two piping cups in paw, Judy used her foot to thump at Nick's door. She could hear the slow gate of her partners footfalls as he cross the floor. 

She did not expect what opened the door. Nick's fur was matted, multiple cowlicks jutted from his shirtless chest and head. Nick wasn't wearing a shirt. Judy's mind went on break, all trains of thought lost to the mercy of the winds. 

"You know, if you take a picture," Nick stated with a dull tired tone. He turned and walked into his leaking living space, leaving Judy standing in the doorway. 

Words failed her. The best she could manage is getting her jaw to hinge several times before she scattered into the room. The door closed behind her, in not quite a slam. Nick filched and hissed. 

"Shhhhh, not so loud! I hear the dead are still trying to sleep."

"Nick, you look like death," Judy blurted out. A thousand better things to say to him flooded in from all corners of her mind. 

"Well, nice to see you too Officer Hopps." Nick took a chair at his table. His head turned to her in a jerky fashion. "That being said, I might forgive your transgressions for some of that heavily drink you have brought me."

Judy's ears warmed. She quickly slid Nick one of the cups before sitting across from him. Neither spoke as Nick nursed the drink slowly and carefully. He held the cup with both paws, as delicately as one might hold a priceless vase. His eyes opened more and more, finally seeming to regain their ability to focus before he spoke again. 

"Sorry for the appearance. It was a long night."

"I'd love to hear about it," Judy offered quietly. 

Nick sighed. He turned to the entrance of his apartment. Thoughts came to him slowly. 

"I met up with an old friend last night. Someone I hadn't seen since school."

Judy quickly ran the math in her head. School for Nick had to have been at least a decade ago, probably more. And last night? It had been late when she had left him outside the bar. What had happened? 

"You two haven't stayed in contact?" She asked. 

"Nope. Generally when you destroy someone, it's considered poor form to gloat over the corpse."

"Umm, sorry? What?"

Nick turned back to her. His face was suddenly more calm and collected. Judy knew the look. The walls were up. 

"We dated fluff. For three years."

"Wow," Judy's mind screamed questions at her. Who was she, why was Nick with her, why wasn't Nick dressed, and on and on. She ignored them as best she could and listened intently. "So, you two were a bit of an item?"

"At the time? She was my world. I would have given her anything, just to stay by my side. Dated though most of high-school. Then, like most young love, things just didn't pan out. We graduated and she found herself a new life. A new job in another city. And a new guy."

Judy let her head dip. Nick was sounding so honest, but there was more there. Something he was hiding. This was some sort of peace offering to her. A ritual. She couldn't decide if she going was to accept it at face value, and not press further. Her eyes closed, indecision itched away at her mind. 

"I'm sorry, that must have been rough," Judy said. Her eyes fluttered back open, trying to offer what positivity she could. 

_So this is what we do now. We tell half truths,_ she thought. 

"Oh, it's okay. I'm over it now. Well, yeah no. I'm good now?" Nick seemed to question himself as he corrected. He drew a long breath. "Yeah, I'm good. I've moved on. Then last night after you took off, I get a text. She was back in town for a night. Wanted to catch up, see how things were going."

Judy read between the lines. Old squeeze, Nick bored and alone. She could add the two up. Nick was an adult, he could make his own choices. 

"Oh, wipe that look off your face Fluff. _Nothing happened._ "

She sat abruptly upright. The scowl on her face wasn't a conscious choice. 

"Nick, no-I. No thats not-"

"Relax. It's okay, I know you didn't mean anything. It's just, I don't way to lie to you."

_Then why are we lying through omission_ Judy shot back in her head as the fox continued, his arms animating his story as he went. 

"She asked if I'd show her the new hot places in town. Bars, clubs, that sorta thing. Weird thing being a cop now, you know? A year ago I'd have shown her to places that threw the best parties. Now all I could think of was the crime rates. Which bar had the least complaints or police responders. Old Nick is going all soft in his age."

Judy chuckled. 

"So yeah, met up with her outside her hotel. Hopped a few bars. She just seemed, I dunno, bored? We ended up walking back through the rainforest district."

"Sounds like a romantic evening Nick." Judy forced a smile. Something in her twinged with pain. She ignored it. _Be happy for him dammit. He is your friend._

"Heh, I suppose that's what she wanted me to think. Then I started to ask questions. Question's I shouldn't of. I asked about what happened when she left, and about the new guy."

Nick gave another long breath. 

"I wasn't ready to hear it, I don't think. It opened a wound in both of us apparently. She ripped up one side of me and down the other. It was all stuff from school, you know? Things I'd moved beyond. Or at least long since forgotten. 

"She took it as the chance to vent out on all the things I did wrong back then. How her new life was so much better without _me_ in it. She just stood there, yelling. At first I tried to defend myself, or at least offer to let the paste stay in the past. She wouldn't have it. At some point, I don't know, I sort of gave up. Just let her say what she wanted. I think I rolled back in here around three or so. Just sorta fell into bed and woke up when you texted."

Nick finished and returned to slowly sipping away at his beverage. 

"Are you okay Nick?"

He blinked up at her. 

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" He asked. 

_Another lie. Another deflection from... Something,_ she thought. 

"It's just, I've seen you when you're down Nick. I've seen you in pain. You were still, well clean?"

Nick frowned. His ears flattened to his head. 

"Judy, can we... Can we drop this? I'm feeling a bit more awake now. Give me a few to clean up and let's take a walk. That okay?"

Judy couldn't read what he was doing. Nick was hiding something, but still sounded so defeated in front of her. 

"Yeah, sure Nick."

She hardly noticed him leave the room. He had said something to her along the way. She offered an affirmative grunt back. Nick seemed to find the answer satisfactory. 

_What the hell is up with that dumb fox? What the hell is up with me? I walk in here all speechless over what, him not having a shirt? Now he is hiding... Something. Maybe? Erugh_

This wasn't how her morning was planned to go.

* * *

#### 10 AM, Zootopia, Rainforest District

High above the green and silver super structures, their cable car came to a sudden jerky stop. Some mechanical issue, or perhaps someone had not closed a door at one of the stations. Either way, they found themselves bobbing high above the city below. 

Judy had lead them back here. Some idea about getting Nick to open up again. It had all sounded so smooth in her mind. He had seen through her idea the moment she had taken a turned to lead them here. Even with her defeated attitude, Judy enjoyed the view of the city below. 

"So, what do you think they will have you doing. Dissecting aliens? Censoring the media to cover up some massive government conspiracy?"

"No idea. You heard everything Bogo told me. I guess I will find out when I get there."

"I'll look forward to hearing from you," Nick said, looking up over the horizon of the district. 

Judy shook her head. 

"No phones, they will provide me with what I need there. You won't hear from me until I get back to Zootopia at the end of the week."

"Sounds lonely," Nick said. 

"I've been through worse."

A paw reached out at her. An offer of comfort Judy had received countless times before. A friend reached to bridge the emotional gap through physical reassurance. These were all things Judy _knew_. For reasons she did not understand, today was different. There was something raw and exposed about how she felt. Somewhere between worried and defensive. 

Instinct kicked in. 

_Claws, get away from them!_

In the blink of an eye she had pushed her back into the far corner of the cable car. It swung wildly against the sudden shift in weight. Nick recoiled, his paws gripping the railing. Both ears flattened to his head, concern flushed deeply in his eyes. 

Both simple took deep breaths for a few moments. Neither truly seeming to understand what had just happened. With a sudden lurch, the cable car began to move once more. Judy's vision snapped forward, eyeing the next station. It would be by them in moments. An escape from the confinement of the car. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Nick started. 

"No Nick," Judy shook her head as reality seemed to crawl back into motion. She gingerly stepped back across the car. Nick shrunk away, pressing his back into the rail. "It's not you. I think this week was just a little much on me. I didn't mean to jump like that."

She reach forward and placed her paw on top of his. 

"Nick, please. I could use a friend right now. I don't know if I am going to have any, where ever they are taking me." Judy smiled up at him. 

_Just a friend_ thought Nick. The words from their previous talk burning clearly in his mind. 

Judy's paw worked at his fingers, trying to soften their grip on the side of the car. With a huff, his posture relaxed. His paw released, turning to held hers for a few seconds before they both allowed it to drop. 

"We could get off at the next stop?" Nick offered. Seeing the station approaching. 

"Naw," she responded. A real part of her wanted to accept the offer. The car felt small, and confined. A stronger side of her wanted to push past that fear. Judy's pulse pounded in her ears. "I think I'd rather stay." _One good lie deserves another..._

They passed the wooden platform in silence. Nick's paws tensed as he leaned onto the rail. His claws gripped the cool metal. He waiting for Judy's nerve to crack, her resolve to falter. The station passed into the distance. 

"So, are you, okay? I mean, you seem a bit shaken."

Her eyes narrowed and looked off in the distance. 

_What is wrong with me? I've known Nick for... Okay, not amazing long, but still. He would never hurt me, why did I jump like that?_

She side stepped, allowed her side to press into the warm mammal beside her. 

"It's just I've been running on fumes for weeks. Everything was leading up to capturing that wolf. Then I finally do and all this nonsense happens? It's just I'm a little fried right now."

Judy allowed herself to come away and face him. She story felt good, plausible. 

"I didn't think the legendary Judy Hopps ever ran out of gas."

"You'd be surprised Slick."

Nick nodded, and they both turned back to enjoy the view. Below them mammals moved around with their lives. They skittered about like ants. The cable car felt like a break from the busy city around them. For a time, it cradled both of them from their worries and problems.

* * *

#### 4 PM, Zootopia, Nick's Apartment

With a final push, the tree green couch slid into it's final place. Judy wasn't really sure how Nick had managed to convince her that moving it into his apartment would be easy. Sure, they borrowed Finnick's van to get it here, but Nick's stair well was not well suited to bring it down in the first place. Their comparative lack of mass didn't help things. The couch was a hair to big for someone Nick's size. It made Judy look like a kit. 

For his part, Nick seemed very pleased with his new furniture. He pulled away the protective plastic sheet they had thrown over it. The couch sat in one of the few dry locations in the apartment. He hurried to return the various pots to their proper locations, guarding against the drips of water from above. 

"Nick, we really need to look at an apartment," Judy remarked. She jumped up to sit on the newly placed couch. Slowly she worked her way into it's comforting embrace. 

"Oh, so when you say 'us', what you really meant was to con me into moving in with you?" He asked without turning to her. Carefully he was adjusting the last few pans under the slower drips. 

"Hey! That's not what I said!" Judy remarked. 

"Ha, right. Sorry, I know it would be a bit weird to live together eh?"

Judy's mind twinged in anger, her relaxation vanished. A dozen curses fired off in her mind. She took a breath before speaking. 

"Nick, would you _stop_ that?"

"Um, stop what??"

"Stop underselling yourself to me," Judy spoke with a focused, metered voice. 

Nick turned back to face her, having finished putting away the last few unneeded dishes. 

"Um, sorry? I don't catch your meaning Carrots."

"I've lost track of how many times you have done that. You misunderstand what I mean, and then diminish yourself. You say a 'rabbit wouldn't', or 'no mammal would', or that I wouldn't. How many times did you pull that this afternoon?"

His eyes narrowed as he leaned against the counter. He looked on in silence. 

"Why do you keep doing this Nick?" Her voice was tired from this conversation already.

His eyes blinked slowly. Nick turned his head to the side, facing down and away from her. 

"It's. I dunno, a bad habit I've picked up as of late," he said as his paws drew a half hearted loop in the air. 

Judy shook her head. Her face pulled with an angry heat. 

"That isn't a real explanation."

"I know. I know... It's a safety net."

"How in gods' name is attacking yourself a safety net?" Her voice was sounding more angry than comforting. 

Nick flexed his jaw in thought. He spoke carefully as he responded.

"If you control where the reasons someone says 'no' are, you control the pain. You make it so they can't hurt you."

Judy's anger popped. She huffed a breath at him. 

"If that's how you wanna play things Nick, then so be it. But you're playing dirty poker just like you accuse me of. You're not giving me time to think here. You attack yourself before I can even understand you were hurt."

Nick listened carefully before nodding. 

"If you want to drive that wedge between us. If that means you feel safe, then go ahead. I won't stop you Nick."

Judy's eyes locked onto his face.

"I trust you. I trusted you every time we put on those badges and went out there. I trusted you every time things got hot. No matter how bad things get, I always know you will have my back. So when I say I trust you Nick, believe me." Judy sighed. "And if you think that pushing something between us is the best thing for you to do, then I won't stop you. That's... Fine."

Something pulled a Judy's chest. She had meant to simple reassure Nick that she would go in whatever direction he needed to go. Her mind went back to their conversation in the morning. Nick was hiding something, some pain that he was unwilling to dig back up. Judy didn't have the energy to fight him on this. Today was a day to rest, to escape from the horrors of the case she had been thrown into. 

Nick refused to meet her eyes. His posture held steady. 

_Is this what we are now?_ Judy wondered. _Moment to moment we lurch from friends to... What ever this standoff is? What the hell am I doing to him. I can't keep hurting him like this._

Judy bounced off the couch, the floor creaking angrily at her. 

"I'm gonna give you some space, okay? Text me when you're ready to talk to me."

She turned and left. The situation felt abrupt. She couldn't figure out how she had gone from so calm to so _pissed_ , in mere seconds. 

_He needs to know I won't put up with this crap_ , she assured herself. _I need to make a point out of this_.

As she marched up the stairs, and out to the street, confidence in her actions waned. With the fiery anger behind her, she began to question her actions. Rage gave way to anger. Anger gave way to irritation. Through the haze of the irritation, second thoughts crept out of the woodwork. 

Nick stayed frozen in place, staring at the door. Thoughts raced through his mind. Slowly, one by one they all yielding to his growing anger. When he was sure Judy was out of earshot, he gave in. With a snap he spun, grabbing a small bowl left on his counter, and threw it across the room. It shattered on impact, showering the couch with tiny pieces. 

He let loose a feral growl as he pounded an angry fist on the table. It took him several minutes to calm down and begin cleaning up the last mess he had made. 

It took him another hour to build the courage to go fix the mess he had made before.

* * *

#### 6 PM, Zootopia, The Grand Pangolin Arms

Judy sat at her desk. Her mind wondered. Everything felt fuzzy, unplanned. She did not enjoy the uncertainty in her future. In the heat of the moment, Bogo's offer had sounded like everything she had wanted. Answers, and a way forward. All wrapped up in a neat little box. 

Leaving Nick's apartment still pained her. It had been a bluff she decided. She was certain that Nick would have stopped her when she turned to leave. She had stopped Nick when he tried to walk away, why wouldn't he stop her when she did the same?

_Because he doesn't want you anymore_ , she thought. _You had your chance, now he is going to fix up things with that vixen he talked about. She sounded fiery and passionate._

A knock at her door startled her. Collecting herself, she walked the few steps to open the door. Nick stood in the hall, His posture was defeated. 

"Hey Judy. Can I come in?"

She nodded, not sure what to say and welcomed him into her closet of a room. She took a seat back on her chair, allowing Nick to sit on the bed. 

He took a breath. 

"I'm sorry about earlier. I really didn't expect you to call me out on that. Kinda caught me off guard."

She nodded. He was sounding so honest. So sincere. Judy's mind couldn't help but wonder what the angle was here. 

"I, um. Yeah, sorry about walking out like that," she offered. 

"Yeah, that was kinda bitchy, not gonna lie," Nick said with a chuckle. 

Judy's eyes went thin, trying to read into his meaning. There was no hint of a smile. Her nose twitched furiously. 

"So. Why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?" Nick asked. 

"Why didn't you stop me?" Judy waved her paw accusingly at her window. 

He shrugged, "I locked up. You caught me off guard. You have been so... So.... Emotional as of late, that I kinda expected a softer conversation? You sorta hit me on my blind side."

Judy nodded slowly. She waited for him to continue. 

"So yeah, the attacking. I'll stop. Or, at least I promise to try. This whole thing isn't easy for me right now. I guess it's not easy for either of us. Things kinda went all wonky at once."

"Thank you Nick. I know this is hard, but it really means a lot to me. Your patience, it's going to help. A lot."

"Take all the time you need fluff."

_All the time I need? Right, he isn't in a rush to get what he doesn't want anymore_ , Judy thought. _That vixen... A new goal_.

"Thanks." She smiled. 

A pregnant silence slipped between them. 

"So, wanna go catch a movie or something?" Judy offered. Something to do that wouldn't require more talking. Talking seemed to be where their friendship kept going off the rails. At the same time, she knew something was missing. They were ignoring so many little things that needed to be said. 

"Sure," Nick said getting off the bed. "Just nothing too mushy."

Judy's phone buzzed. A text from a blocked number, with an address and time. 

"Or, um. Yeah, why not just hang out for a while," Judy said showing Nick text. 

"Judy, that's in what, ten hours? You need to get ready, sleep, wake up and eat before then."

Nick turned to stare at the door. 

"You just _got_ here. I'm not sending you walking back across town after that."

"It's nothing Carrots. Besides, we have next weekend right?" Nick said turning back to her. 

"Right," she agreed. He stood, and offered an awkward hug. Their first day of working at things hadn't exactly gone to plan. They left one another in an unspoken tension.

* * *

#### 4 AM, Zootopia, Rainforest District Canopy

Judy and Tower stood atop a unassuming apartment building jetting out and away from the tree tops. A concrete pad, and large yellow H sat in front of them as they waited. In the distance, sharp flashes of red and green approached through the soft morning rain. Judy was soaked the to bone, not really having expected to be outside once she had arrived. Her companion loomed over her, and smiled at the appearance of the lights. 

"This your first time up?"

Judy nodded her head in an exaggerated fashion as she could begin to hear the faint thumping of the blades from the approaching helicopter. The rapid changes in the pitch of the sound made her nervous. 

"Nothing to it love! When she lands, just follow me in. I'd say keep your head down, but I suspect that's not gonna be an issue." The wolf smiled down at her. "Once we are in, just strap yourself in. The ride up is gonna be a bit choppy but they should have us out of the storm in just a few minutes. They got sick bags under every seat if you need one."

Judy nodded again. The wind went from a gentle breeze to a gale force as the aircraft settled over their heads and began to set down. The sleek grey body split open to reveal its landing gear as it plopped down on the wide surface the rooftop they were on. 

The door slide open just before landing, and Tower broke into a swift jog. Judy followed, ducking her head more out of instinct then need. The blades bit angrily into the air above her. The noise muffed instantly as Tower closed the door behind them. They found themselves in a comfortable interior. The seats were an off white, smooth material. An otter sat sleeping, strapped into one of the seats. 

Judy jumped up into a set of waiting harnesses across from the other passenger and fastened herself in. 

A bag was shoved in her face. She took the disposable paper bag, looking up to the ever smiling Tower. 

"Hang on little girl, this is gonna be a fun one!"

He disappeared though a narrow door to the front of the machine. After nearly a minute the world lurched. They rocketed skyward. Judy quickly unruffled the paper bag she was handed, not sure if she would need it or not. 

Outside was a slipstream of water, and flashing strobe lights. The whole machine dipped and wobbled as they climbed at an alarming pace upwards. 

Slowly, in time they seemed to level off. Still longer, the rain slowly died away. Judy felt warm, her face hot. She focused outwards to the tiny white and yellow dots of the landscape that slowly peaked through the clouds below them. Quickly, the morning seemed catch up with her. Head head relaxed into the plush welcoming material as the world fell away.

* * *

#### 8 AM, West of Zootopia

Judy awoke with a start. The harness to the seat held her firmly in place, but something was amiss. She had fallen asleep to the drumming of the blades in the helicopter. The engine whined, but the blades were going slow. Far to slow for them to be airborne. 

Her eyes opened painfully. Her head was throbbing in a fog, calling for her to go back to sleep. It was an alien feeling, Judy had always been a quick riser. Blindly white light filled the space as her eyes adjusted. 

Tower's tail gently hung in front of her, as he faced the otter. She heard words, probably yelled between him and the pilot. They sounded muffled and confusing. She pushed her paw over her eyes to shield them. When she felt awake enough to finally look around, Tower had left their compartment. She could see the two upfront, hands waving animately. 

The otter's head hung down, his body held against the seat. 

"Sir?" Judy called out to him. "Sir, are you okay?"

No response. His ears didn't so much as twitch. Judy's training kicked into gear. In second she had unbuckled herself and crossed the space on shaky feet. The world swam about as she moved. 

_Gods, how tired am I?_ she thought. 

Her first responder training went to work. A paw hovered over a nose. Breathing, but weakly. A pulse was checked, calm and slow. Very slow. 

Judy poked the otter, firmly. No response. 

_That's not a good sign_ , she thought. Lifting one of his eyes, she saw no pupal reaction. Judy tilted the other. That eye dilated as wide as it could. 

_He's been drugged?_ Judy began to panic. She frantically searched her surroundings for a means of defense. Reaching under the seat she retrieved a small red bag, about sized for her. Opening the zipper, Judy found a small survival kit. Various tools, rations, and a water filter were tightly packed into the small bag. 

A weapon was racked in the cockpit. Her ears twitched, locking onto the sound. Quickly she threw the backup on. 

_Shit shit shit! We need to get away. Run, hide!_ Training and experience mingled with instinct. 

Judy grabbed the door handle, and was met with a blisteringly cold gust of air. The outside was white. A field of fresh snow, reaching all the way up to the floor of the helicopters compartment. Turning, she quickly removed the otters restraints, and lifted his arm over her shoulder. 

"Time to get the hell out of here," She said to her unconscious companion. She took a step towards the door. With a lurch she threw both of them out into the frigid cold. The snow was powdery, and light. She sank into it with the weight of the pack and otter. 

"What the fuck?" Came a voice from the door. "Oh, we don't have time for-"

Judy never heard him finish the sentence. A crack sounded. A gun had been fired less than a meter behind her. Judy's ears screamed, ringing with intense pain. 

Her legs worked frantically against the snow. 

A second shot went off. 

Somehow, her brain worked out a way to experience more pain from the second shot. Adrenaline pounded into her system. Every fibre of every muscle in her body thundered in action, stretching themselves to the breaking point to get more distance from the helicopter. More distance from that gun. 

_Run! Accuracy falls off significantly with distance. Distance will save you, and then we can hide!_ Judy's mind screamed. She could almost hear her drill sergeant telling her just how dead she was. 

A third crack sounded in the crystal white snow of the field. Judy fell face first into the snow before she even registered the pain. Her vision turned to static. Voice after voice in her mind vanished, slipping away into silence.

Judy had often wondered what dieing would be like. Being an officer made the mortal threat a grim reality she had to deal with. She had hopped that she would relive her life one last time. A single moment to cherish the memories of her friends. Her family. Her job. Her _life_. None of it came. Only the slow march of darkness as she could feel herself slipping away. 

The last though that survive the slow shutdown of her consciousness was the sergeant from her training. 

'Your _dead_ fluffy butt!'

Judy's extremities went numb. The cold bite of the air faded from her perception. She felt only the warmth of her own mind shutting down. The world faded away to black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten a lot of very mixed feedback on this chapter. Not sure if it's an actual issue, or just good to drive the controversy? Feel free to let me know what's not landing here!


	6. Betrayal

#### 4 PM, ZPD Precinct 1

Nick returned to his desk. The first day on patrol without his usual partner. Bogo had given him the option of riding shotgun with someone else, or going in alone. 

He had opted to ride solo. The day gave him time to think. Time to unwind. The Chief seemed to sense the need. He had been assigned patrol in a notoriously crime free area. Not much traffic, mostly retired mammals. 

It was always nice to make a showing in these places. It reminded the public that the ZPD was anywhere and everywhere. Nick had spent most of the day parked on various side streets, watching the world churn around him. 

"Maybe this _is_ all a bad idea," He had decided. "Every time Judy and I worked at anything more, we got in a fight. Two solid days of walking out and shutting ourselves away from each other."

"Yup," he said to himself in the cozy warmth of the patrol car. "That's a red flag that you don't need to deal with Nick!"

"Damn right I don't need to deal with it. Besides, Judy is a _good_ friend. Why do we wanna risk that?"

The conversations had carried on in loops all day. All resulting in the same conclusion. Nick was asking for something that he would regret. 

That of course meant living up to the truth. Telling Judy he was having second thoughts. He sarcastically contemplated jumping off of various tall objects. Rainforest District had tons of them. Savanna Central too. Suicide rather easy compared to confronting that rabbit. Death would be quick. Judy on the other paw, was a much bigger risk. 

Nick had opened himself up to her. Allowed her amethyst eyes to pierce the veil. She knew so much now. Over the months, even when distracted, Judy grew and learned. Her mind was a sponge for the strangest details in her life. 

It would be ammo. Nick knew this. He had seen so many of his friends go through relationships. He himself had put his heart out on the line in his youth. The details were always different, but the narrative tended to be the same. If the women felt wronged, she didn't just go for blood. 

No, blood would have been easy. They always struck out at the soul. Attacking whatever was most important, to even the score. In his rush to not let Judy slip away, Nick had given her every piece of the puzzle she might need. 

"Okay, you got this Nick," he had told himself. "You just gotta back out gracefully. You've been caught red pawed more times then you can count. Without a doubt you can talk your way out of this one too. Just don't hurt her. You're _friends_ still. No investment yet. Everyone walks away unharmed."

The mental pep talks had left him in a solemn mood. A quick text to Finnick had set up a bar hopping night. It had taken two promised rounds of drinks to convince him. Finnick was a fickle friend, never really trusting Nick as 'the fuzz'. Still, it was worth the investment.

He rotated gently in his chair, his eyes scanning the rest of the officers back to end their shifts. Still more worked in preparation for the evening. There were colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less. Nick really hadn't made many friends over the last few months. Judy had monopolized his attentions. His stomach pained with the minor regret. 

_What am I thinking?_ He laughed at himself. _I can talk someone into joining us. Should be a piece of cake!_

" **Wilde** "! The billowing voice of the Chief rang across their officers. "My office, _now_!"

"Well shit," Nick spoke to no one around him. "So much for conning someone into DDing."

He stood up and wasted no time getting to the chiefs office. The buffalo had returned to his chair. 

Nick paused. Bogo had an air about him at the ZPD. In control, the mammal in charge, a moving mountain that no one dared stand in the way of. That visage was missing. Something was off. He looked worried. The Chief rarely looked worried. 

"Door," he said. His voice followed his posture. Where moments earlier his barking could have woken the dead, he now spoke as if to someone on equal footing. As if Nick was his friend. The whole thing sent a shiver down Nick's tail. 

He turned, gently closing the door before sitting down in the seat. 

"What's up boss?" Nick broke the silence. 

Bogo let out a huff of air. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His hoofs folded together on the table. His eyes studied Nick, something deep rolled around in the buffalo's mind. The words took several moments to come to him. 

"There has been an incident."

Instantly Nick realized where the look, the posture and tone were from. It was something every rookie had _burned_ into their memory form the first time they had been dragged along to do it. To tell a family there had 'been an accident'. Sometimes it just meant going to the hospital. Other times it was the signal to begin placing affairs in order. 

The worst had always been the body identifications. Every mammal was the same. The entire drive to the morgue they would do the same things. Try to explain how it couldn't be who they had been told it was. Their family member had simply lost track of time, or gotten distracted. Nick would sooner seer his fur off before volunteering for that particular duty. 

This was the first time he had been on the other side of it. In an instant emotions clashed for his attention. 

_How could he do this to me?_ Anger was the first to reach him. The desire to lash out. Stick it back to Bogo, make _him_ suffer for daring to bring this upon Nick. 

_This is a mistake! Maybe there is just a big mix up?_ A great deal of Nick wanted this to be some twisted practical joke. It yearned for a punchline he knew would never come. 

One single thought brought the turmoil to a stand still. 

_Judy..._

Nick's face held solid. He offered not a single hint of anything that raced through his mind. A calm mask over a tumultuous mind.

"Okay," he said with a forced, calm voice. 

The Chief's eyes softened. They offered pity and comfort. In the moment, it was the last thing Nick wanted. 

"Judy's helicopter fell off of radar this morning. Search and rescue has so far found no sign of the craft."

Nick's eyes danced across the buffalo's face. 

"No crash site?"

Bogo shook his head. 

"No emergency beacon has been detected. No radio distress calls. They simply descended below radar coverage and their transponder never came back."

"But we don't think it crashed?" Nick asked. He knew what he was doing was stupid. He was daring to hope. Daring to think that the worst hadn't happened. He knew very well, that if there was hope, Bogo would have opened with it. First rule of handling these situations was to control expectations. Never allow someone to fall into despair without reason, but never offer a chance where they would find none. 

"Nick. I'm sorry, things have happened. We have a strong reason to believe that this was a willing act by an, as of yet, unknown group of mammals targeting the flight."

"But, it could still be an accident?" Nick's control began to slip. He sounded agitated. 

Bogo shook his head again, firmly. 

"This was not an isolated event. Several other incidents have occurred."

Nick slid himself down onto the floor. 

"We need to look. We need to start looking for... What ever happened-"

"Nick, you need to sit down, _now_." The Chief's voice was reminiscent of Nick's mother.. Understanding, but unrelenting in its demand for compliance.. 

"With all dude respect-"

"Not. Now. Wilde." His voice slipped. It wasn't anger. It was worry, concern. Anger would have been easier for Nick to deal with. Anger he could throw back. No, this was far worse. 

Nick stood, frozen in place looking up at Bogo. 

"I mean it, sit."

With a sigh, Nick complied. 

"As I said. There have been other incidents. Judy isn't the only missing mammal I am worried about right now."

"Were their others on the craft sir?" Nick kept the walls up. The sooner he was done with this, the sooner he could disobey what every stupid orders he was given. All the sooner to begin looking. 

"Yes, but that isn't the pressing concern at the moment."

Nick blinked. The statement caught him off guard. They had _lost_ an aircraft, with multiple agents on board. SCAR was either heartless or-

"The facility Judy was in transit to seems to have been attacked."

"Attacked sir?"

"A brief period of panicked calls. Reports of gunfire, and then nothing. Total radio silence."

Nick expression gave way. Worry filled the voice, mirror the Chief's.

"What do we-"

" _We_ don't do anything," the Chief cut him off. "This is unprecedented. I don't recall the last time SCAR was outright attacked, and never successfully. Whatever is going on, it's big. Bigger then I am equipped to handle."

He bent back, opening a drawer. He pulled out a foil covered bag, a thick white envelope, and a pair of hefty looking scissors. 

"Your old contacts, from before you worked here. Are you still on good terms?" Bogo asked. 

"Well. I mean, some? Most tend to hear the rumor mill when they plaster your face on the newspaper for a week about being the first fox in the ZPD. But, how are they going to help now? Aren't we thinking more National Guard here?"

Bogo shook 'no'. 

"I told you, there isn't a 'we' here. When you came in, you had an impressively clean record Wilde. You pulled some tricks in your day, and never managed to get caught."

"I don't follow here..." Nick trailed off. 

"Think you can disappear again?"

"What, go undercover? Sir, Judy and I have done-"

"I didn't say go undercover Wilde. I said _disappear_. Off my radar, off everyone's."

"Sure, but we really don't have _time_ for that."

"What we don't have time for," the Chief started with a firm tone, "is wasting it on hopeless matters. SCAR is in disarray. Every agent in the city is going into deep cover. Families are already packing to leave. A lot of us don't have any idea what the next step is. 

"There is no one to hunt for Judy's aircraft Nick. For the time being Judy is considered missing in action, I am sorry."

The words didn't need to be said. Everything the Chief had told Nick already lead his mind right to them. Of course Judy was gone. Aircraft mysteriously missing, someone attacking this group of spies, no one to go on search and rescue. Of _course_ Judy was gone. 

Still, the realization wrapped around him. It squeezed at his chest, steeling the air from his lungs. Nick's paws grabbed the edge of the chair. His claws dug into the wooden base of the seat. His chest heaved. 

_Dammit, why can't I **breath**_?

" _Nick_ ," Bogo said sharply. Nick couldn't remember the last time he had heard his first name from the mammals lips. "There will be time to grieve, but it isn't now. Your life's in danger, and if you want Judy's sacrifice to mean anything, you won't throw that away."

His chest continued to work to try to catch any air it could. His jaw tried to move, but could only motion at an attempt. No words came. He settled for a curt affirmative nod. 

"Good," Bogo said. His hoof pushed across the white envelope. "Fifty grand in unmarked currency. It's the last you're going to get, so make it count. Don't hit any ATMs, or banks. Your account would be traced anyway. That's just asking for trouble. If you can, don't even go home. Head for cover, and don't look back. 

"There is a number written on a slip of paper. Read it until you memorize it, and then destroy it. Don't throw it away, _destroy it_. It's to a burner phone. Leave a message, and a return number. I trust you can find yourself some burner phones on your way out of the city?"

Nick's ears rang with an uncomfortable tone. 

"Do you want me to write this-" The Chief started.

"No," Nicks voice eked out. "I got it. No banks, no familiar places. Head for cover. Call the number when safe."

"Good. Give me your wallet."

Nick's body moved, but not of his conscious choice. Nick was like a passenger, merely along for the ride. Bogo went through everything. Photo ID, credit cards, anything with his name on it. Every single one was cut into pieces, and then tossed into a bin. 

"Your phone." 

Again his paws moved on their own. The phone was turned off, placed into the foil package, and then placed into a safe in the closet. 

"In three hours the city is going to suffer a 'malfunction'. Every traffic, CCTV, or surveillance camera attached to our system will go off-line. It should buy us about twelve hours to get out of the city. Wait until then. Go somewhere that doesn't stand out. When you hear the storm sirens go off, you know you are in the clear. Get out and stay down."

Nick didn't remember anything else from the precinct that night. Somehow he had changed from his blues, to street clothes. He found himself at Finnick's regular parking spot. 

The cold didn't bite at him. Even with his winter coat still only partially grown. Nick's calm exterior matched his feelings. Empty, missing. He handed Finnick a sizable wad of cash from what the Chief had given him.

"So, you said to call you when I wanted to regret a night?" His voice spoke. A ghostly narrator on a mission that wasn't his own. 

Finnick made good on his request. Nick would never remember that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews thoughts and critiques are welcome!


	7. Walk

  
  
  
**2 PM, Somewhere West of Zootopia**  
  
Judy Hopps fell back into the world with a painful start. There were no memories of dreams, or of a better place than she found herself in. She didn't remember pain. Where ever her mind had gone, it had not suffered. Now everything about being awake hurt.  
  
Snow and ice bit into her face. Trying to stand, Judy found it more difficult than she expected. Snow had packed itself in and around her throughout the day. With a burst of effort, she broke free of the clutches of the snow and ice around her.  
  
The vicious white light of the field burned into her eyes. She sat on her knees blinking as she allowed her body to adjust Her head swiveled back and forth slowly to survey her surroundings.  
  
_Okay, not dead. Not sure thats preferable right now, but alive is probably better._ she thought. The world still felt foggy. Details took a moment to focus on. The field she was in was mostly flat, stretching hundreds of meters in any direction. In front of her a low rolling hill side began to gently slop upwards. Tall green pines boarded the field on all sides. Red caught her eye.  
  
Judy looked down to the otter in the snow not far from her. The last thing she remembered had been her desperate struggle to move him through the thick powdery snow. He was almost a meter to her left now. Red and brown soaked into the snow underneath him.  
  
With painful jerky movements, Judy moved her knees through the crunching hard snow. She closed the gap to the otter. He lay face down. Where there should have been the back of a skull, a grotesque hole now sat. Small bits of frozen flesh lay strewn across the snow in a spread pattern about a meter before and after the unfortunate mammal.  
  
Judy took a slow breath in and out.  
  
_Identification_ she thought. Patting over the otter's pocket, the strange feeling of the cold corpse pressing against her paw, she found no wallet. _Probably taken when we were asleep in the air_.  
  
Patting her own pockets she found the same. Empty. No keys, no wallet, nothing.  
  
_Okay Judy. Your alone, in the middle of no where, in a field of snow with a corpse. Stop, don't panic. No, now isn't the time. Yes, I know that's a corpse, **shut up**_.  
  
Breathing was an effort. The air wasn't frigid as it had been the morning. The weather seemed to have given up on the bone chilling winds. It was a far cry from being the warm dry air of summers back on the farm.  
  
The farm. Back home.  
  
_Nope!_ Judy stopped her train of thought. _Home is where we need to get **back** to, not despair over. Okay. Survival. You have been taught this, you know what to do._  
  
She opened her mouth to try to speak. Her throat burned at the effort.  
  
_Okay, ouch. No talking. Thats fine. Speaking doesn't keep me alive. Think Judy! You have air, you can breath. Yup, thats good. Not going to die in the next few minutes_.  
  
_Water? Well, you are surrounded by fresh snow. I assume that's at least safe to melt. Melting... Shit, heat_.  
  
In a sudden flurry of panicked movement Judy worked to clean every exposed inch of her fur from the ice and packed in snow. Some of it had already melted into her, forming little splotches of damp mattered fur. The transition to a winter coat would normally have taken another month or two. Judy knew her body would now go into overdrive to thicken the coat. A fresh plush undercoat would fill in and keep her comforting in the snow. If she could survive about a week or two, she would be fine.  
  
It wasn't until she reached for her back that she remembered the bag she had absconded with from the helicopter. It clung to her back snuggly from the straps she had rushed to tighten.  
  
_Wait, why am I not dead? I was shot... Maybe? Where did they go?_  
  
She turned to face the direction they had run from. A massive depression sat in the snow. All around them a wind had blasted down the snow in a broad circular pattern.. Only two tracks of paw prints though. No one had checked on their bodies.  
  
_Lucky for me they didn't..._  
  
She unclipped the shoulder straps, and twisted the bag around to her front. The top wasn't the bright red she remembered. It was a darker, almost brown. Her finger poked at the material it was soaked through with something that had stiffened the material.  
  
Blood. Dry blood.  
  
Judy moved slowly, carefully to bring her paw to the back of her head. A gash stretched a few centimeters up. The matted scab still felt fresh. Puss greeted her finger as she gingerly pressed at it. She worked around the edges, pressing in to test the bone beneath. It held firmly against her probing.  
  
_Well, okay lost a bit of blood. Bone feels good though? A grazing shot. But wait, how? I was running **away** from Tower. His shot couldn't have_...  
  
Rocking the pack away from her, she found her answer. One of the metal buckles on the back of the pack had a significant dent in it. Glancing to the body next to her, she wondered what the bullet would have done to her. It had gone clear through his head without much issue. Had the buckle not been there, she would have easily bleed to death. Unconscious and alone.  
  
_Nope!_ The voice in her head dragged her attention again. _Not thinking about that. You didn't get shot, thats the important part. Next steps. What kills you next Hopps, think!_  
  
_Heat, then we need shelter._  
  
Opening the pack, she found what she would need. A knife, hefty enough to help cut wood in a pinch. No hatchet, but it would do for now. A bar of flint hid away near the bottom of the bag.  
  
Fire. Judy had access to fire.  
  
_Okay, we can cut wood, make a fire. This looks to be a pine forest, but still, there should be some loose branches buried the snow. I can find something to burn._  
  
_Great idea! Lets start a fire. In the middle of the day. With damp wood. In a winter wonderland. No one will ever see that and come finish the job. Stupid stupid stupid!_  
  
Judy packed the bag back together, and carefully slung it around her back. She placed a paw on the back of the unfortunate otter.  
  
"I will find them," she promised in a horse voice. Her throat felt like she had gargled ash. "I will find them, and someone will answer for this."  
  
Leaning back, Judy stood with groaning effort. Checked her compass again, just be sure, she walked away from her nameless fallen companion. Pointing east she began to march carefully through the crusty white snow.  
  
_We couldn't have gone that far_ , she assured herself. _Only mountains within a mornings flight of Zootopia are almost straight west._  
  
Pain wretched at her limps, muscles and joints. She checked herself again, just to be sure she hadn't missed some other wound. The gash on her head would need to be treated. It begged infection. The medical supplies in her bag were slim. Enough to clean the wound. It wasn't going to feel good.  
  
She stopped under the first pine tree at the edge of the cleaning. Being away from the corpse helped distance her mind from the mortality of the situation.  
  
Carefully, Judy did the best job she could to tend to the wound on her head. It really needed to be shaved, thoroughly washed, and bandaged. The scab had sealed itself against her fur. She rationed the wipes and small bottle of alcohol, cleaning it as as bes she could. It pulsed angrily at the attention.  
  
_Okay, nerves still work. Thats good? Yes, thats good. You can walk in this pain. Get as far from here as you can. Make shelter before night falls._  
  
And so Judy walked. Her legs offered cries for mercy with every step, cutting into the thin later of ice that had started to form on the top of the snow. The relative warmth of the day was melting it in slowly.  
  
The sun moved gently down towards the horizon. The mountains to her back caused twilight to last for hours. Judy made good use of the time. She had cursed trimming her claws just days prior. Climbing trees to gather limbs would have been far easier if she had just let them grow out a little.  
  
Still, over the course of an hour she amassed a collection of branches and limbs to form a makeshift shelter. The extra wood she used build a fire.  
  
_Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You can only go about two days without water Judy. Less with the trekking. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate_.  
  
A small metal can from the back and a plastic bottle helped the process along. She would melt the snow, cool the can in the snow, and transfer it to the plastic bottle to chill further. Over and over she cycled as much water into her system as she could take, and topped off the bottle for the next day.  
  
The food rations were her next concern. She could make them last a week, maybe. After that things would be on the clock. If she could get down below the snow she could probably forage for greenery or late season berries. Maybe something that had survived the frost.  
  
Curling up in the thermal blanket, she allowed her resolve to drift away. In her relaxation, questioned began to form.  
  
_Am I going to make it out alive?_  
  
_What was tower doing to that otter when I woke up? Why didn't he just shoot us somewhere closer to Zootopia?_  
  
_Who do I trust? Was Bogo involved in this? Did he know what Tower would do?_  
  
_Where do I go if I can't trust anyone?_  
  
Worry and paranoia circled down with her into a restless sleep.  
  


* * *

  
**2 PM, Somewhere West of Zootopia**  
  
Judy's plan to make her rations last had held up, for almost three days. Hunger had gotten the better of her. She finished the last herbivore bar in the morning. It should have lasted her a day easily, with rationing.  
  
Even by noon her stomach had begun to complain for lack of something.  
  
_Last time I listen to you_ , she thought to her own body. It was a betrayer, probably not to be trusted.  
  
Her head felt good. The scab seemed to have settled in to do it's thing on the back of her head. It had shrunk considerably after the first day. The wound was far less severe then she had first thought. Judy stopped every few hours to dab more of the alcohol on it. She would have killed for a set of mirrors.  
  
The snow pack had finally given way as she walked. Now only small piles of ice interrupted her path. It wasn't something she could really avoid. The tree cover made her feel safe. The very same shadow that marched her across countless little icy snowdrifts. The previous day she had spotted a small aircraft flying in a straight path overhead. She had hidden in a pine tree for nearly an hour before deciding to come down.  
  
Judy figured she could make it a few days without food, far more if she stopped moving.  
  
_To stay still is to die. Anyone looking for you wont miss next time_ , she thought cautiously.  
  
As the sun began to set, a glint caught her eye. Something across the valley was reflective. She bobbed her head a few times, making sure she knew exactly where the glint came from. It looked like a grove of trees, clustered at the top of the ridge line.  
  
_If I stop here, I can make camp. If I go across, I can use my flash light and hope what ever that is, is safe._  
  
Judy turned to face the setting sun with worry. If felt like a divisive moment for some reason. Her mind raced. If it was shelter, maybe there would be a radio. Or mammals. Or someone else looking to off her.  
  
Judy extracted the knife from her pack, and turned to lean into her walk.  
  
_If I am going down, I am going down fighting_ , she decided.  
  


* * *

  
**6 PM, Somewhere West of Zootopia**  
  
The glint had been a stroke of luck. A window, recently washed, westerly facing on the side of a cabin. Judy sat in the woods watching carefully. No lights came on as the sun had set. No whiff of another mammal, not sound for kilometers. The forest wrapped her in a silent blanket of safety.  
  
The cabin itself was clearly used. The roof lacked and debris shot of the small build up of ice that had survived in the shadows. Some pine needles were strewn about, but no branches. It was clear that someone had been taking care of the place.  
  
Judy's steps across the small open space to the door were careful. She would stop and listen to the strange noises her imagination would fill her mind with. The distance to the door felt enormous.  
  
Standing before it, she found herself unsure of what to do next. Cautiously, she wrapped her paw against the door. It wasn't a very large door. No elephant of rhino would hope to enter the dwelling. The wood rattled with the pounding. Nothing answered in call.  
  
Cautiously Judy entered. The cabin was sparsely furnished. Folding metal chairs and a table occupied a small living space. A waterless kitchen set sat in the corner, empty tanks of propane unceremoniously piled next to it. A simple latched box caught her eye. Opening it, she was greeted with a collection of dehydrated food packs.  
  
_Jackpot!_ she thought. Not a moment was wasted worrying about the theft she was committing. This food was not about comfort, it was about survival. She filled her bag until it was full, and then found a small cloth bag to carry as much as she could. The box was left almost empty.  
  
Something cracked in the woods. Judy's logical side knew it was probably a tree adjusting to the chill of the night air, or snow shifting in the branches.  
  
Her instinctual side won out. She bolted from the cabin, running at full sprint. The woods surrounded her as she ran. It was a good long hour before everything finally gave way. She fell down under a bushy tree. She extracted the foil covered thermal blanket from her pack, and let exhaustion take her.  
  
"Shit" was the first word out of her mouth in the morning sun. Checking her pack, she accounted for every item that should still be there. Except for the small flash light.  
  
_I used it going into the cabin?_ she thought. Surly she hadn't left it. On the table, over the food she had procured. _Oh crackers, it's still there..._  
  
She looked back the direction she was sure she had bolted in the night. Her feet still stung from the sprint, cuts and bruises sung an angry tune. Carefully she counted her packets of food.  
  
_Not worth the risk,_ she decided. _That cabin wasn't abandoned, who knows if the owner is gonna be happy you just walked off with all his food._  
  
Without easy access to snow, meals would be hard to prepare. Water had become a priority.  
  
_Water kills us first. Dehydrate, and you start not thinking right. Let that go and you wont think well enough to find water_ , she thought. _So step one, water source. Travel east when you can._  
  
She slung the cloth bag over her shoulder, bouncing it against the pack, and set off again to the east. Her emotions felt stunted, blocked by the will to keep focused on her needs. Checklist after checklist flew through her thoughts. What would kill her next. What would keep her alive. How to stay hidden. Slowly, carefully, Judy walked east.  
  


* * *

  
**1 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County**  
  
Days turned to a week. A week doubled itself, and then some. Judy would find a river, and follow it for as long as she could. Too many of them turned south on her. Each meal she had taken left behind another resealable bag to keep water in. As meals were consumed, her supply of water grew. With the water came the weight of traveling, something Judy wasn't exactly pleased with. Still, water kept her alive. Another item she could check off every day.  
  
The first sign of civilization she had spotted was a broadcasting tower up in the hills. It's gentle pulsing beacon had been a welcome companion where she had made camp. Within a day she had traveled east of it, reaching the edge of the forest.  
  
It was strange. Judy had never really visited the edge of the Triburrows. Maybe on a car ride into the hills, but never on foot. One moment she walked through the tangle of pines and bushes that edged carefully into the fertile region. The next step had taken her out of one room and into another. No more trees before her. Just some farmers field, and the burrows beyond.  
  
Her left paw moved, gripping onto her right. Over the course of the last two days it had developed a concerning twitch. Judy dismissed it.  
  
_You're stressed Judy. You need to find shelter. You need to be safe. Then we can figure out whats wrong. The farm. Home. But, without a ride? I stand out too much with this pack._.  
  
An idea crept into Judy's head. It was a bad idea, but it was another step to surviving. She turned back, walked into the woods. She found a comfortable stop to stay, and ate. There she stayed until night fell around her. A vale to move under, hidden from prying eyes. She thanked the stars that cameras were so rare this far from a city.  
  
Finally sure that the sky was as dark as it was going to get, Judy walked carefully down the hillside, and headed towards one of farms.  
  
_Judy Hopps. Police Officer, wilderness survivalist, and now a desperate criminal_ , Judy thought to herself as she wandered carefully through a wilting field. It didn't provide the best cover, but she hoped it wouldn't be a concern. With luck, no one would have any reason to be out in the fields at night. Not this late into the year.  
  
Living in the country was a different experience then the city of Zootopia. 'Folk are most trustworthy' her father always said. Doors generally weren't locked, and if they were, your neighbour probably had a keys. For emergencies. Keys for farm equipment was almost always left somewhere inside, if the ignition key was even still needed. The Hopps farm ran a small fleet of old beater trucks. More then one simply had a nob rather then a key hole.  
  
Judy moved carefully through a set of vehicles on the property. Not one had a license plate. Here they had found their final resting spots. Put out to pasture as it were. They would stay off the main roads and the local sheriff wouldn't have any reason to bother the owners.  
  
_Well, expect for tonight_ , she thought. _But what are the odds of me getting pulled over?_  
  
She dismissed the thoughts, not wanting to temp fate.  
  
It took three trucks to find a key. The nearby barn's flood lights illuminated the dark, it set Judy on edge. She knew this wouldn't be an issue. Never once had someone back home gone running when a random truck started in the night. There were simply too many siblings that might need a late night shopping trip, or a ride home from a rousing night at the bar.  
  
Still, the angry roar of an engine, well beyond its prime, made her fur bristle as she made for the main road. Her eyes locked on the rear view mirror, tacking front door of the burrow at the center of the farm. Mercifully, no anger farmer with a shot gun emerged.  
  
Judy didn't let of the gas until the dim light of the farm was beyond her sight. Leaving nothing but a trail of dust, she vanished into the night.  
  


* * *

  
**11 PM, Bunny Burrow Town Line**  
  
Judy reflexively looked again at the gas gauge. It's needle still read 'Full'. It had been for the last three hours of driving. Her home town sign zoomed past, a relief. She was finally close enough that walking was viable. The various farms were burned into her memory. By sunrise she could make the Hopps' property.  
  
Her path meandered along slow, dusty dirt roads. Most of them not really fit for a road vehicle. Still, the truck handled it well.  
  
Judy rode in silence. Even the radio sounded too loud. The weeks away from civilization had acclimated her to the quiet. It was safer feeling, as if it somehow kept unseen eyes from watching her. She knew that a truck driving around at night off in the country was about as common as she could have hoped for.  
  
Turning onto a final dusty road, the single working headlight of the truck showed their destination. She was at the far reaches of the Hopps family farm. Before her, a weathered red barn sat nestled between the smooth rolling hills. It had been used as a fertilizer store when she was a kit. Judy didn't remember the last time it had seen any actual use. The only reason it's paint had been redone, was as a punishment to a group of her brothers.  
  
They had the same idea she did. The barn was in the middle of no where, not visible to anyplace else on the farm. The fields around it weren't in use yet. Room for expansion for what ever generation wanted to plunk the field of rocks. The ideal location for a party. Sadly her mother had realized far to many of her kits were missing for dinner as they raced across the fields.  
  
Judy could still remember the scolding they had gotten. Her father had made them carry the paint to the barn by paw, going back to the house when ever they needed more. Took them nearly a week to finish the job.  
  
Tonight it would serve has refuge from the elements. Carefully, she backed the truck into the now empty concrete floor. Climbing the small ladder in the back, she set foot in pitch black attic. She felt around on all fours carefully. An odd assortment of couches, chairs and mattresses were strewn throughout the room in little circles and corrals. Her siblings had collected them here over the years. It was enough to lounge around on, get away from the adults back in the burrow. On a cold night like that night, it was deserted.  
  
_What the hell and I going to tell my parents?_ Judy pondered as she lay down on one of the couches. Pressing up against the side made her feel somehow safe. She longed for the piles of siblings she had grown up sleeping amongst. For the safety in numbers.  
  
Holding up a shaking paw, she willed it to stop. The shaking had gotten worse and worse over the last day.  
  
_Tomorrow I can get real food, that will settle these nerves..._  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the day late post. Looks like we are only doing 1 chapter this weekend as well. Chapter 08 just hasn't been edited like it needs to be... We should return to our regular 2 chapters/weekend posting plan next week! 
> 
> So, I want to take some time to be honest with my readers. This story is in a very bad place. Not as in the story itself is going dark (honestly, there is a lot of fluff ahead), but more of where the writing went. Currently on my local machine I have up until chapter 19 written. 
> 
> Some very bad mistakes were made planning this story out. Character arcs went eschew, there was no plan for their development or such. I just sorta free-wrote things. This had consequences. 
> 
> Among them, is that I REALY don't know where to go from where I left myself. I can't end it because I never setup and ending... Whoops! So, my plan is as follows. I'll be posting 2/chapters a week until I run out of material. This is about 6 weeks of posting ready to go, all finished for sharing. After that? I'm probably going to abandon this work all together. I want this to stand as a testament to my failure as a writer, and a reminder for me to do _better_ next time. 
> 
> I have another story already in the works. We have a few chapters written with a co-author, and things are much much more planned this time around. We already know how it starts, where the arcs go, and how everything ends. I cannot wait to share the rollercoaster that is that story. 
> 
> Again, I just wanted to be upfront with everyone. I don't want you to think this is leading anywhere other then a wondering path of fun. 
> 
> As always, please review! I've learned **so much** from the reviews posted to Ao3! The critiques have been mostly fair and educational! It makes me a better writer when you tell me what I did wrong. That being said, be kind. I stress over having messed _everything_ up... 
> 
> Thanks all!


	8. Homecoming

**10 AM, Bunnyburrow, Hopps Family Burrow**   
  
  
Judy awoke to thin slits of light pouring into the musty barn. The shafts of lights danced above her in the dust. Climbing down carefully from the attic, she walked from the barn and began the slow hike to the burrow. She stopped for a moment to eye the truck they had stolen.    
  
_ Just another thing to explain. Eh, we can take it back today _ , she thought and continued to walk.  _ The farmer will understand. _   
  
Trekking through the back country had been exhausting. Sleep was rarely difficult as she had progressed. The reality of being home crept into her muscles and bones. They ached to rest. To finally give up. The complaints had been there for weeks, but now they all seemed to bubble to the surface at once. They yearned to find one of the comfortable guest rooms her mother always kept waiting.    
  
The guest rooms were practically a necessity for her parents. It was a rare day when the Hopps farm had no family visitors. Sometimes the carrot wine would do them in, too drunk to drive home. Others would forget to check the time and choose to enjoy their hospitality. More often than not, some family would visit from far away, staying for several days before returning. Her mother had assigned a small cleaning crew to stay ahead of the curve, always keeping some rooms ready for more. "Hotel Hopps" the hallway had been named.    
  
The sky was a crystal blue, not a cloud in sight. The sun had already warmed the soil from the evening's chills. It felt familiar under her feet. Comforting, welcoming her home. She stopped as she crested the final gentle hill to look upon the burrow itself.     
  
It sat nestled into tall domed mount of a hill. The front porch stuck out at ground level, leading to a rabbit sized door. The whole display was covered in playful pastel paints. From various locations in the hillside, small windows popped out. The driveway sneaked in from the road, and then around to the back of the burrow.    
  
As she expected, there was no one outside. In the distance a single solitary truck was leaving. It left a lazy trail of kicked up dust in it's wake. Judy wondered if that was the Grey's delivery truck making a stop. It seemed odd for the time of year. The stand would be closed down, all their produce would be shipped in vans directly to distributors. There would be no need to bring pies over anymore.    
  
Her tired muscles cried more and more as she approached the home. Judy found herself standing at the front door. The paint had been worn down, etched from the weather of the year. Her paw quivered slightly as she brought it to the door bell.    
  
Judy hesitated and she stared at her outstretched finger resting on the rubbery surface of the button.    
  
_ I'm not nervous, I am not scared. I'm not feeling anything really, why can't I stop shaking? _   
  
Concentrating on the paw only seemed to make the problem worse. She drew the paw back to her chest, cupping it against herself. With a curt breath she extended the paw, smacked the button and stepped back, centered with the door.    
  
Her ears refused to budge, hiding behind her head as if it would somehow protect them from what ever opened the door. She could hear a voice, female, muffed from the wood approached. It stopped at the door, and paused. A discussion was traded with an unheard voice deeper into the house.   
  
Judy bit her lip nervously. Her eyes danced back and forth on the surface of the door. Her legs joined her shaking paw.    
  
_ Stop that! _ she thought in vain.    
  
With a soft click, and the thud of a dead bolt, the door opened.    
  
" _ Well then _ ," Bonnie Hopps stated, her head facing away from the door back into the burrow. "Just tell them to take them out to-," Bonnie Hopps froze as the edge of her vision caught what stood on her doorstep.    
  
Fur stuck out in random places, an almost uniform layer of brown dirt clung to every inch of the mammal at her doorstep. Judy shook like leaf in the cool morning air. Both rabbits stood, noses twitching furiously at the scents they took in.    
  
Judy smelled home. A warm comforting smell, from what felt like a distant pass. Her ears began to perk up, she could hear the far off voices of her her father call something back. The din of many small voices churned away.     
  
Bonnie stood in shock. It had taken her a moment to recognize her daughter. Her nose filled with unfamiliar scents coming off Judy. A million thoughts raced through her head. The world went silent as she tried desperately to process what was happening.    
  
"Hun?" Came the voice of Judy's father, much closed than before. He walked into the room, looking around his wife. "Take them out where-," his voice halted, never finishing the inflection of the question.    
  
The three stood, frozen without moving.    
  
_ They must be so mad at me _ , Judy thought to herself.  _ I haven't called in weeks, I look like I've been through a dirty tumble dryer. I probably smell like all manor of shit. Why can't I stop shaking dammit? Why aren't they moving? _   
  
"Judy", her mother said breaking the stifling silence.    
  
_ Here comes the outburst. The judgment. You're an adult Judy, you can take this. Just let them have their say and- _   
  
"You're not  _ dead _ ."   
  
**_What_ ** ?!, Judy's face contorted in horror. She shook her head before blurt the question out loud.    
  
Both parents moved to embrace their filthy daughter. Words of love and affection flooded into Judy's ears. She couldn't get her mother's works out of her head.  _ Why would they think- What reason? Why would I be dead? They don't know anything about where I have been! _   
  
The parents talked over each other, with love and with praise. Their words were lost in a fog to her. Judy never remembered falling to her knees, or starting to cry.    
  
"You need to go get him." Bonnie said quietly to her husband.    
  
Stu nodded, standing up with a paw on Judy's shoulder. He offered her another reassurance before racing away into the house.    
  
"Dear, do you think you could stand for me?"    
  
Judy sobbed, still trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions that hit her. She took an unsure step up, and leaning her weight against her mother.    
  
"Mom. I don't, I can't.."   
  
"Shhh," Bonnie hushed her with a paw to her cheek. "There there dear, you're okay. Everything's okay."   
  
With her assistance, Judy hobbled into the house. Her mother quickly shut and bolted the door with her free paw. Her nose twitched at the smell of her daughter.    
  
"Honey, please don't take this the wrong way, when was the last time you showered?"   
  
Judy blinked at her mother, her mind suddenly trying to remember. It had been days, at least. The last time she had encountered a stream deep enough to soak herself in. The water had been bitterly cold. Without any kind of soap or towel, she had made due with simply washing the debris from her fur.    
  
"I'm-I'm not really sure," Judy responded, shame in her voice. Her body twitched again, half shiver, half sob. She couldn't figure out what had caused her to break down so suddenly.    
  
With a breath, Judy felt her feet become a bit more steady. Her paws griped at her mother's shirt for stability.    
  
"Come on, let's go get-cha washed up okay? We wouldn't want you looking like you spent your morning rolling in manure now could we?"   
  
Judy sniffled and laughed.    
  
"That sounds,  _ really _ nice right now mom."   
  
Bonnie walked her to one of the guest rooms. They hobbled into the private bathroom, sitting Judy down on a closed toilet.  Starting the shower, she turned to find her daughter, who was busy struggling with her shirt. She smiled at herself. No matter how old her kits got, they always seemed to find trouble.    
  
With gentle hands she helped free Judy of the shirt. She held it for a moment. It was tattered, several tares had expanded to long holes along her journey. Bonnie tossed it unceremoniously into the trash.    
  
"If ya need anything, I'll be right outside okay honey?" Her paws came down onto Judy shoulders. Her grip was delicate, as if she might break her daughter. Once she had gotten a nod from her daughter, she left and closed the door.    
  
Undressing felt more complicated than it should have. Soon the hot steaming shower enveloped her. The water ran brown with dirt and debris, freeing itself from the snarls of fur. Cleaning was slow, and meticulous. The world still felt fuzzy, unfocused around her.    
  
Judy's ears perked as a collection of voices came from the attached bedroom. The pounding water disguised them for the most part, until Judy heard a yell.    
  
It wasn't a clear word, sounding somewhere between a question and an expletive. The voice invigorated something within her. The voice was familiar, but out of place. She ran herself under the water one final time. Her paw rested on the knobs of the shower and hesitated. The shower was warm and comforting. A safe escape from the world.    
  
Still the pressing need to identify the voice stuck into her mind. With a twist of the knob, a pipe let out an angry whine as the water stopped. The room went silent, as did the voices outside. Judy stepped from the shower, pushing the curtains aside. Something snagged at her paw.    
  
Judy's momentum carried most of her forward, while the tangled arm stayed somehow attached to the floral patterned curtains.    
  
"Bwah!" Judy explained, as her body sharply tilted backwards. On any normal day, she would have caught herself. On a good day she would have untangled her paw the curtain. Even on a bad day she would break her fall with an arm.   
  
On that day, Judy's neck slammed into the porcelain lip at the base of the shower. She didn't quite remember the sharp painful bark from her mouth as she gingerly brought a paw to her neck.    
  
The voices outside went from silence, to a panicked commotion in a hurry. She was unable to parse any of them. Her attention went to the back of her head. Everything was wet, she couldn't feel if she was bleeding or not.    
  
In a rush of cool air, the door to the room burst open. Standing front and center her mother squawked something. Her face was in a panic seeing her daughter sprawled on the bathroom floor.    
  
Beside Bonnie, stood Stu. Both rabbits froze, their eyes darting over their crumpled daughter.     
  
Judy ignored them both. Her blinking eyes focused on the orange form that stood behind them both.    
  
"Nick?" came her soft question. It didn't make sense. Nick shouldn't have been there. His home was hours away, Judy wasn't even sure he knew her home address. Question buzzed through Judy's mind.    
  
"What in the world are we going to do with your Carrots? You can't even die right," Nick spoke in his usually calm voice. Stepping around her parents, he grabbed a towel. In moments Judy felt herself bundled, wrapped, and carried in his arms.    
  
Nick turned and moved for the bedroom. The embarrassment of the situation finally caught up to her as they moved. It was like being an infant. She couldn't walk on her own, now she was being carried like rabbit burrito.    
  
Gently Nick placed her on the bed, his paw carefully cradling her neck has he did so. Setting her down completely, he checked his paw.    
  
"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked. Her voice sounded stressed with the clearly repeated question.    
  
"No blood," Nick replied. He stood up from the small bed frame. "We should get her some ice though."   
  
Nick disappeared into the hall.    
  
Judy's parents were on her instantly.    
  
"I'm- Fine, just hurt," she answered them for the fourth time. With help, she sat up in the bed, leaning against the ample collection of pillows.    
  
There was finally a pause in the room. Bonnie sat her paw on her daughters before asking yet another in her string of questions.    
  
"Judy. Where have you  _ been _ ?"   
  
"That's- It's- Um. That's a bit of a story." Judy words were careful. Her head is pounding. Even sitting up felt difficult. "I was doing some work, sorta outside of normal ZPD... Stuff."   
  
Both her parents nod together.    
  
"Nick told us what he could," Stu offered. "Said something about special training?"   
  
Judy smiled. Nick had stuck to the cover. That was one less thing she needed to worry about.    
  
"When this is over dad, remind me to yell at you for going turncoat with a fox on me", Judy said with a half hearted smile.    
  
Stu's face switched to confusion and anger.    
  
"Now you listen here missy-"   
  
"Stu! Can't you see she is hurt? Is now really the time?" Bonnie scolded her husband.   
  
"Well maybe she should have thought about that before shutting us out!"    
  
Regret filled the rabbit's face instantly.    
  
"Judy, I'm Sorry. I didn't mean-"   
  
"Dad! Dad, don't worry," Judy reached her paw out to him. "I've just been through a loop. Things are... Messy. To put it kindly."   
  
Nick popped back into the room, a small plastic bag of crushed ice in paw.    
  
"Ah, thanks Slick," Judy said, taking the ice and gingerly pressing it into the alarming lump on her skull.    
  
Nick sighed, and sat at the foot of the bed. His eyes narrowed on her, watching Judy's actions carefully.    
  
"Judy, we need to know," Stu asked again. "What happened?"   
  
Judy didn't take eye eyes away from Nick. His face is painted with worry. She figured that he must be trying to see if she had a concussion.    
  
"If I tell you, I need you two to promise me something."   
  
Both parents looked at each other. A silent conversation passed between them. Assured she had permission, Bonnie spoke.    
  
"Sure honey, anything."   
  
"I'm going to give you the short run. I need you to promise me you won't ask questions. I  _ promise _ you I will tell you everything, but I need to know that this doesn't end in an hours long question and answer session." Her face never looked away from Nick.    
  
Both parents looked between their daughter and each other. Nick interrupted them before they could ask why.    
  
"Judy has what we like to call 'Survivors Exhaustion'. Her body wants, if not needs, to  _ shut down _ . The more we fight it, the worse she is going to feel. That fall kicked her back into gear. She is running on adrenaline right now. Give her fifteen minutes and she is going to be shaking again." Nick finished with a sigh. "Hopefully you didn't manage to concuss yourself Fluff."   
  
_ Dammit do I miss having a partner _ , Judy thought.    
  
"What? 'Survivors Exhaustion'?" Stu Began. "But, is she okay, shouldn't we call a doctor or-"   
  
"No," Judy and Nick spoke in unison.    
  
"She will be fine Mr. Hopps, just needs rest," Nick finished for her. A mental clock was running in the fox's head. His eyes stayed focused on his partners actions. " _ If _ she starts showing signs of a concussion, then we call."   
  
_ Don't blow cover without reason _ , Judy agreed in her head.  _ What ever happened after I left, it must have been bad. Nick would normally be the first to bust out his phone and dial emergency services _ .    
  
Judy cleared her throat before beginning.    
  
"What you were told about training was a lie, one that both Nick and I were told to use as cover. I really can't get into what that cover was about, not now.    
  
"I think I was being brought into a murder investigation. A government organization had a major incident that they could not understand themselves. They reached out to the ZPD and got me. That's probably all Nick knew from the last we talked."   
  
Both parents heads snapped to the fox. Nick gave a quick nod before their heads swivelled back.    
  
"I left Zootopia on one of their aircraft. I was moved with an otter, I never caught his name. They didn't tell us  _ anything _ . No where we were going, or how long it was going to take. Just sat us in the back and took off."   
  
Nick's ears flattened as he listened. Judy felt the questions rolling behind his eyes. His face hardened from worry to agitation. Judy offered a look of a apology to him before continuing.    
  
"I woke up sometime later that morning, I am not really sure when. We had landed somewhere up in the mountains. They... Um, I think they had drugged the otter? I woke up to see my escort going to the front. When I examined the otter, he had signs of something heavily sedating him. I panicked, grabbed a survival bag, and tried to run away. That's when he shot me-"   
  
"You were shot?"   
  
"Who shot you?"   
  
"Oh my goodness, are you okay?"   
  
"We need to get her to a hospital!"   
  
The questions came at a rapid fire, overlapping on each other. Judy couldn't tell which parent had said what.    
  
"We agreed no questions," Nick said with finality. His voice was stern, some a sort of low growl to it. His eyes remained fixed on Judy's.    
  
_ Well that's going to need some explanation later _ , Judy thought to herself.    
  
"Well, glass half full, I survived! Sorta? Well, yeah. The pack I had tool the bullet. It grazed the back of my skull and knocked me out. I woke up sometime later. The helicopter was gone, and the otter had been shot.   
  
"From there, I just walked. For days... I just kept walking home. I didn't know what had happened, or who I could trust so I avoided any signs of civilization. You're all the first mammals I've talked to in... Weeks."   
  
Her neck craned in a deep yawn.    
  
"That our cue to scoot, Snacks," Nick said, his voice snapping back to its normal cool tone. The parents glanced from him to themselves. Testing to see if this was worth arguing about.    
  
_ What in the world? _ Judy thought.  _ Since when do my parents take orders from a fox? _   
  
Bonnie retrieved a set of towels from the bathroom, and the three of them set about lining the bed from Judy's wet fur.    
  
"Snacks?" Judy asked Nick with a smile, her eyes felt heavier by the second.    
  
"Oh, just the nickname I started calling the Hopps clan," Nick offered with a smile. Judy didn't like how fast he was at keeping his defense up. It was like a light switch when Nick was on his game.    
  
"Hey, kept the kits in line!" Stu laughed. "Well, for  _ maybe _ an afternoon. I think Gideon kinda took the scare out of foxes on ya."   
  
More questions floated into Judy's mind, as her eyes grew heavy and tired. The soft babble of conversation carried on without her.    
  


  
  



	9. Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to fill in some of those pesky gaps i've left in the past few chapters. And to start opening up a new issue even more...

**4 PM, Bunny Burrow, Hopps Family Farm**   
  
Judy was unsure what time it was when she awoke. The room was pitch black, darkened from the lack of windows. She fumbled for the light at the night stand. Surrounding her on the bed was a collection of matching towels, all pushed aside in her sleep.    
  
The night stand had a pile of fresh clothes. The burrow was never lacking in spares. So many bunnies went through an alarming number of outfits. The Hopps had soon learned to simply store extra for hand-me-downs. Judy remembered the strange black market of shirts and pants that had formed when she was growing up. Kits would barter all manner of things to those who wanted to stay up with fashion.    
  
Judy dressed herself. Her arms were tired, but at least they had stopped their shaking. A Knock came at the door as she finished buttoning the plaid shirt.    
  
Opening the door and leaning against the frame, Nick gave her the same worried look he had earlier. Judy gave him a half hearted smile.    
  
"No headache. Neck is sore though."   
  
"Well that's good. I was kinda worried how we were going to come up with a fake identity between now at the hospital if you  _ had _ gotten a concussion," Nick replied with a smirk.    
  
With unsure footing, Judy crossed the tiny room. She stood in front of Nick like a kit caught with their hand in a cookie jar.    
  
"So," she started. "I assume you are here to interrogate the suspect?"   
  
"You're parents are busy getting dinner started. Something about the chefs going on strike? I just came down to check on you, saw the light was on."   
  
"Heh, yeah. The cooks always did like to stir up drama."   
  
Nick nodded, his eyes drifting up to the odd pile of wet towels on the bed.    
  
"You were shot Judy."   
  
_ Yup, here to interrogate _ , Judy thought.    
  
"Um, yeah. I mean, technically I was only shot at? I only caught a ricochet. The um... Yeah the otter wasn't so lucky."   
  
Nick gave her a knowing look. They had all seen survivor's guilt before. One officer goes home, one officer goes down. Life didn't always make it clear why which happened. Carefully, Nick stepped around her and crossed the room to start scooping up the towels.    
  
"Just a flesh wound eh? You're damned lucky Fluff. How'd you avoid any other mammals anyway?" Nick asked as he finished stripping the damp bed of its linens.    
  
"Well, I did sorta steal a truck to get from the edge of the Triburrows to here..."   
  
Nick sighed. He walked back across the room, looking down at her.    
  
"Carrots, just once in your life, you should try things simple. Simple is nice, it's easy." Nick spoke, pushing the door open with his foot as the two walked down the hall to a small laundry chute. He bent down to drop the beddings inside. They vanished down the dark chute. "Everything you do has complications. I'm really not sure why I thought today would be any different."   
  
"We can fix this, I promise, let's just get my parents, and we can get it back to the farmer?"   
  
"That sounds, nice." Nick said with a slight pause. "Just, do me a favor? I know you're new to this whole 'lay low' thing, but you have to think about these things. What if that farmer reports the truck, or asks too many questions when we return it? First rule of running a con is to keep the lie so simple that you  _ can't _ mess it up."   
  
They walked a snail's pace to the main hall. Judy's legs wouldn't support her going any faster, and she refused Nicks offer to be carried.    
  
"How did you even end up here?" Judy asked as they left the guest hallway.    
  
"Well, the same day you got attacked, the Chief went into full panic mode. He dragged me, and I am not joking here, by my neck into his office. Took my phone and gave me a wad of cash. Told me to go underground. Didn't want to know where or how, just said to hide."   
  
"Did he mention me?"   
  
Nick brought an awkward paw to his neck.    
  
"Yeah, that umm... Yeah, you... Kinda came up."   
  
"What did he-"   
  
"Chief told me you were dead. Said that the aircraft you were on was compromised, or maybe attacked. Search and rescue was out of the question. Someone else got hit the same night, had all their resources on that rather than you. Said to trust no one, and wait things calmed down. Told me to lay low and make myself unseen. He wasn't sure who or what had attacked, or if they were coming for me next."   
  
"Nick, my gods... Where did you go?" she asked.    
  
"Honestly, that part's a bit fuzzy? I ended up in a bar, I know that much. Finnick and I blew a fair bit of that cash. Next thing I remember was waking up on a train bound for here. I'm not sure what happened in the meantime. Maybe sloshed Nick thought he needed to tell your parents?"   
  
"Ah, that explains them asking why I wasn't  _ dead _ when I opened the front door," Judy said, thinking back on the morning. "So, how much did you drink anyway? Not sure I remember you blacking out before."   
  
Nick's muzzle locked forward on the hall they slowly paced along.    
  
"Finnick isn't the best influence when you're in the mood to forget the world, and well, we had a  _ lot _ of cash on hand."   
  
Judy's paw reached for his arm.    
  
"Nick, is everything okay?"   
  
"Oh, not at first it wasn't. I was mostly sober by the time the train dropped me off. Found a touristy looking map at the visitor booth at the station. Had every family farm in Bunnyburrow on it. Found the Hopps and started walking. Your mom  _ screamed _ at me when she opened the door. I tried to explain who I was, and your dad tasered me."   
  
Judy bit back a laugh. Her father had always been rather happy to bust out the fox taser. Strange mammal's knocking on their doors at odd hours would have been just the excuse he loved.     
  
"I'm sorry, that's really not funny."   
  
"No, no it isn't." Nick said with a playful tone. "But yeah, I guess they went through my wallet while I was taking a nice nap, sizzling on their front porch. I woke up in the front den. Guess they dragged me in out of the cold. You're folks were honestly very nice after that. They gave me a room up here for the first night, and then moved me down to the dungeon."   
  
Judy gave him a questioning look.    
  
"I had to tell them something. I said something had happened, and that I needed to lay low. That's, well. That's when I told them about your alleged passing."   
  
Judy wondered how that conversation had gone down, more specifically how Nick hadn't been shot.    
  
"Sleeping down stairs just made sense really. Kept me away in case someone came looking for a fox. I'd only come up in the morning and evenings to eat with their fox friend."   
  
"Gideon Gray?" Judy asked.    
  
"The same. Don't get me wrong, if they let me I'd empty this house of blueberries, but foxes need more protein than bunnies. Your diet just wouldn't sustain me. Gid brings over fish, chicken and the like. You're parents were, hell, still are awesome. They kept me off drinking, it was only a few days ago they started letting me have  _ a _ cup of carrot wine a night."   
  
"You actually drink that? Didn't think anyone other than bunnies liked it."   
  
"Oh, it's terrible, but you don't exactly have a lot of liquor stores out here. Going to the bar would just bring attention, so I just sorta make do. Helped take the edge off, got me to sleep easier."   
  
Nick's voice trailed off. A glimpse of pain he avoided discussing.    
  
"So, what have you been doing otherwise?" Judy offered moving the conversation along.    
  
"You mean other than hiding from the fan club? Your parents gave me odds and ends. There is always something that could use someone nice and tall to help with."   
  
"Wait wait, fan club?" Judy asked.    
  
Nick wasn't given the chance to answer. They arrived had at the balcony that overlooked the dining room. The massive open space was the hub of the burrow. Dozen of hallways branched in every direction. The guest rooms were sparing the chaos and noise, being off down one of the longer branches that Judy and Nick had just exited.    
  
Below them was a massive circular wood floor cut out from the rest of the room. Half a dozen tables, each with room for a dozen rabbits. With a soft low rumbling noise, the disk turned ever slowly. As one table finished eating, another batch of rabbits would show up, grab food, and eat. The whole room was a giant food timer, keeping the house fed.   
  
Beside the tables was the kitchen. A squad of rabbits worked large dishes and pots, producing the evenings meals. Bonnie was barking away inside, trying to bring order back to her unruly kits that ran the operation.    
  
A high pitched chorus of squeals came from a freshly cleared table. Several of Judy's younger sisters sprinted for them.    
  
Nick took a slight step to the right, allowing his paws to open outwards as he accepted his fate. Judy's sisters impacted him full run, tackling him to the floor.    
  
"Nick," they screamed in a trill voice.    
  
"Read us stories!"   
  
"Tell us more about the city!"   
  
"Come play house with us again!"   
  
"I wanna ride, carry me!"   
  
The rabbits bounced all over the fox. His head looked at Judy, with a 'this is my life now' look. Nick's despair turned to a grin. He let out a low rumbling growl. The girls screamed and bolted away down a hall. Giggling was quickly heard as they scattered away.    
  
Nick stood, brushing off his pants and shirt.    
  
"Yeah, see I had a few  _ glorious _ days of solitude to mope down in the depths of your home Carrots, then  _ those things _ found me."   
  
Judy laughed as they walked slowly down the stair into the dining room below.    
  
"Why do I get the impression you don't only growl at them?"   
  
"Why Judy, I'm a fox! What self respecting rabbit would leave a bundle of their kits in my care?" Nick replied with a knowing smile.    
  
The image of Nick being corralled into a tea party flashed into Judy's mind. It brought a warm feeling to her face. Her nose twitched away.    
  
"Judy!" her mother called from across the room. In seconds the din and noise of the room went silent. At least fifty pairs of eyes and ears turned to face her. Bonnie slapped her paw onto her face just as the dam burst. Chaos erupted. Before the room was a sort of organized train wreck of a meal. Groups coming and going, but everyone being fed. Diners and cooks alike dropped what they were doing to greet their returning sibling.   
  
A wave of family washed in and around the pair. Nick watched in awe as she greeted as many as she could by name.    
  
It would take them over an hour to eat, circled the room twice on the slowly spinning platform. Judy avoided the topic of last month, focusing on the events in the city. Her siblings rotated through talking and asking questions. Nick simply relaxed near by, enjoying the show.    
  
Finally she was able to separate herself from the crowd.    
  
"Where is dad?" she asked.    
  
"Oh, some pipe sprung a leak. He should be back soon?"   
  
"Can you get him mom? We, uh, need to go for a walk."   
  
Bonnie smiled at her and Nick. Her eyes darted back and forth between them. Judy shook it off. They met them on the front porch.    
  
"Where we going Judes?" Stu asked cheerfully.    
  
"You remember that old barn you had the boys paint after that party?"   
  
"Err, which one?" Stu asked back. Judy's face dropped with an exasperated look.    
  
"Your younger brothers decided to throw some parties this summer," Bonnie explained. "We have a lot of repainted barns now."   
  
"The old west fertilizer barn. The one you don't use anymore?" Judy asked hopefully.    
  
"Ah, that one." Stu replied looking at the direction of the barn. "Gosh Judes, that's a bit of a walk. Sure you're up for that?"   
  
"I'll manage. Besides, this is kind of important?"   
  
With a nod, her parents checked in with the controlled chaos that was the kitchen and met them outside.    
  
Rounding the first hill and finally away from the burrow, Bonnie perked up.    
  
"So, is there something you two want to tell us?"   
  
"Huh?" Judy asked. "Um, no?"   
  
Bonnie and Stu looked at each other with confusion.   
  
"What are we doing out here then?" Stu asked, his voice sounding relieved.    
  
Judy took a breath, bolstering herself for the story.    
  
"Nick didn't really tell you the whole truth behind why I was missing, or what I've been doing." Judy started.    
  
She started from the first day, the evacuation at the ZPD. They got the real story from the start. She held nothing back. From her meeting with Bogo, the slow process of learning to work without the backing of a badge, the capture of Tower, and her fatefully ride to the west.    
  
Her parents listened in silence as she told them about the flight, the attack and her escape. She didn't gloss over the details this time around. Everything was shared. How she had traveled, found food and water as she went,even tending to her now scarring wound. Judy had just finished explaining how she had stolen some unknown farmer's truck when the crested the final hill to the barn.   
  
Judy let out a long breath.    
  
They opened the door to the truck inside. Judy sent Nick up the ladder to retrieve her pack.    
  
"Hun, do you even know whose truck it is?" Her mother asked cautiously.    
  
Judy shook her head. She had been so  _ tired _ driving through the back roads. Every moment worrying about red and blue lights illuminating her rear-view mirror. Getting to this barn had been her goal, leaving breadcrumbs had not.    
  
Stu leaned in over to the bed of the truck. He reached in a pulled about a long thin blade of grass.   
  
"Know it?" Judy asked.    
  
He bit at the grass, tasting it.    
  
"Oh sure, but it's nothing uncommon. Stuffs like a weed, grows all over."   
  
With a whistle Nick returned from his task down the rabbit sized ladder.    
  
"Judy," he said. "You took a close one."   
  
He held the pack down for her parents to inspect. Their noses twitched with agitation at the dented buckle.    
  
Judy's arm clenched around her chest as a sudden bout of shivering took her.    
  
"Let's get her back to a bed," Bonnie said quickly. The group closed the large doors to the barn and began the long slow walk home.    
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Thank you so much for sticking with me this far! I've gotten an outpouring of support from various channels on this, and I honestly don't deserve any of it. I'll keep the 2 posts a weekend cadence going for as long as my supply lasts. 
> 
> My new story is kicking off this Friday if anyone is interested in my style with something that will continue. It's going to keep the mature tag (and probably earn it a bit more). Sadness is going to to be a major theme, so fair waiting to those clicking on my user name and jumping in...


	10. Repairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about delay. This story is still kinda weighing heavily on me and taking a break from the edits was needed. It's still just rushed through google docs, but some people want to see where things were headed. I go about 9 more chapters after this one in the bin ready to fire. I promise to get um all up!

**9 PM, Bunny Burrow, Hopps Family Farm**

The walk home was longer than Judy remembered. Ever footfall felt like a focused effort. Her parents walked ahead of them. Every few minutes their whispers would peak, or their faces would turn back to check on the rest of their party.

A gentle meandering line of lights floated high above them, the last flights finishing their long joineries into Zootopia.

Nick walked beside her. He was uncharacteristically silent. His gaze stayed off in the distance, despite Judy's attempts to start a conversation. The concern was added to her ever growing list of things to worry about.

Quietly they entered through the front door. The den, and dining hall were empty. The house murmured at them with the few rooms of conversation from some of the older kits in the house.

Her parents whispered something, and then bid them both goodnight. Judy's legs still offered an intermittent shake. Despite Nick's insistence, she wanted to see where he was staying deeper in the burrow. They walked in silence, down a spiraling dirt path.

Living underground provided fantastic temperature control, but it also meant that expansion was a slow and delicate process. One misplaced tunnel could bring down entire floors of the home. This left many offshoot, unfinished, tunnels. The pair stood before one such tunnel, looking down at the single finished door along it's length. Growing up, Judy had always referred to it as the quarantine room.

The description was apt. Over the years, the abandoned plumbing and water had been hooked up to the room, providing a sort of isolated living space. Any rabbit with a cold could live in a comfortable, out of the way location. It didn't work in practice. Viruses traveled through the Hopps family with an angry vengeance.

"It's not so bad down here actually," Nick said. "Quiet, out of the way, great view." He waved his paw along the dirt wall sarcastically.

Judy gave him an annoyed look.

Thinking for a moment, Nick decided not to poke the proverbial bear. He turned to his room with a sense of dread and discomfort. Nick had not anticipated company. It was easier to avoid awkward talks with Stu and Bonnie around.

Now Nick entered his room, followed by the lone Judy. He picked up a small bag, and quickly excused himself to his bathroom to prepare for sleep.

Judy looked around the room, using it as a welcomed distraction. It had probably been a big change for Nick. No leaky pipes, the earthen walls blocked out almost all the sound from the rooms around them, and being away from the rest of the family probably gave his poor nose a rest.

He returned after a few minutes to find Judy sitting on the foot of his dead, legs idly swinging in boredom.

"Hey Slick, you come here often?" Judy asked in a warm joking voice.

"Please Judy, not tonight. It's late, and it has been a day. And then some."

Her legs stopped, resting against the tall frame of the bed. Judy's smile vanished, replaced with worry and concern. Nick's feature hung with defeat. He stood in the middle of the room, stuck without a place to go, Judy owning the territory of his bed.

"What's wrong Nick?" Judy asked, her paws neatly folding onto her lap.

"What's wrong? What isn't wrong Judy? I thought you had _died_ , and then you show up looking like you gave it your best effort. We find out you've been gallivanting through the forest for weeks on end. You get bored with that and apparently decide to go commit 'theft auto'. Then you top it off by trying to give yourself a concussion. And with all of this shit piling up, we don't even have a plan."

"A... Plan?" Judy asked carefully.

"Yes, a plan. What are we doing tomorrow Judy? What happens in the morning when we wake up. News of you being here is going to stay a secret for all of a week, maybe two if we are lucky. Hell, it just takes one mistake from someone posting your picture online and everything goes to shit. Well, more so than it already has."

"When has any of that ever stopped us Nick." Judy let herself flop back onto the bed. He had a good point, be she had no intention of feeding his paranoia. The burrow was home for tonight, that was going to be good enough for her.

"I'm not sure working at the ZPD is the same as having a clandestine organization out to get you."

"No, that's... Well that's a problem... But I was talking about having a plan. 'Life is messy'," she quoted herself. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. Right now, I really don't _care_."

Judy huffed out a sigh. Another tremble worked through her arm.

"Nick, I just spent the last two weeks not knowing if I'd have enough water to make in the next two days. I went to sleep every night, not knowing if someone was going to catch me in the night, black bag me, and I would just disappear. That hit to my head. That shot. It could have become infectious at the drop of a hat. It's all kind of fuzzy now, the days all blend together."

"I'm not sure where you are going with this one Carrots." Nick said, the wind from his rant taken from him.

Judy didn't sit up, but craned her neck to look at him.

"I just wanna talk Nick. I just want to feel like things are normal, and okay again. I wanna talk about the weather, and who said something behind someone else's back, or whose favorite coffee shop is better. Gods, I didn't ever think I'd miss the chatter of the station so much."

Nick moved forward, sitting with a bounce next to her on the edge of his bed. His paw reached for her shoulder. Before Judy realized what she was doing, she recoiled and pulled herself from it.

_Claws, and attack, hide!_ cried her instincts.

Reality snapped back to her an instant later. Nick had turned from her, his ears flattened to his head, paws hidden from her view.

"I. Don't. Know why I just did that," Judy half said, half asked.

"You're afraid of me. That's why," Nick said looking away.

"Nick how could I be afraid of you-."

He turned his face, causing her to pause. She narrowed her eyes, flattening her ears. Judy propped herself up on her elbows.

"I'm really not Nick. I'm just jumpy, I don't know why. It happens before I can think."

Nick looked at her, studied her face. Regret clawed at the sides of his mind. Judy hadn't been back twelve hours and he was already picking these little fights.

"Okay." He said. Nick shifted himself, moving to the head of the bed against his set of pillows. The distance was awkward, but safe. "So what do you wanna talk about then."

"I was hoping we could finish our conversation, from back in Zootopia?"

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. We talked a lot before you left."

Judy didn't like the tone he used at the end his his sentence. It was pushy, accusative.

"What do you mean I left? It wasn't like this was a choice I made." She said.

"But it doesn't really change what happened, does it?"

It annoyed her. Nick was clearly avoiding something, but firing emotional shots at her anyway. Playing both sides of the same game.

"Nick, what are you getting at?"

He sighed.

"You _died_ Carrots. That's what happened. One minute I was just wrapping up the day's paperwork at my desk, the next my world came undone. Chief sends me off to hide from something. I couldn't possibly hope to see coming it, if was after me. Then he gives me a wad of cash and wishes me the best of luck? Then to top that off, tells me 'Oh, Judy's dead'. What do you think happened Fluff?

"I spent that night running to the first place I could find, the _bottom of a bottle_. When that didn't let me escape I apparently decided that here was a good place to run and hide. That didn't work either. I was just surrounded by little copies of you running around."

He lot out several long slow breaths, allowing his head to rest against the headboard of the bed.

"I mourned you Judy. I grieved. I mostly just hid away down here, except to meet that odd portly fox your family works with. He was like some weird pity-protein-provider. It took me a while just to get myself out and start doing things. Even then, it was all a distraction. A way to hide from it, from the loss of _you_.

"Then you just _show up_. Plopped back into my life doing the same thing you _always_ do, trying too hard. Always trying just enough that someone else needs to pull your head up over the water. You're just so... _You_ right now.

"And now you want to talk? About what, the station? I don't even know if we are ever going back. I don't know if I want to go back Judy. Things were just starting to move forward here. Stu had this whole idea of trying to get my involved with the Grey's bakery. 'Put that silver tongue to good use' he said. That stupid, racist, helpful little irritating bag of fur. But it was a plan. It was a way forward.

"Now you're here. Back out of the blue. A little scraped and bruised, but you're _here_."

Nick's head shook against the wood. His eyes closed.

"I don't know anymore. Everything is all askew. So yeah, there happens to be a lot on my plate right now. So when you tell me you wanna pick up some thread of our previous life, _I'm going to need to to be a bit more specific._ "

His tone cut at her. From sorrow to accusation. Judy saw it for what it was, a deflection. Nick was being open and honest. Putting a sharp note at the end of it all kept attention away.

"I was hoping we could kinda talk about us?"

"What 'us'. There is no 'us'. Back in Zootopia, there was that talk you wanted. There was maybe a chance. A whisper of hope for... I don't know, something? But it never came."

"Now just wait one second," Judy sat up interrupting him. She turned and sat on her knees facing him. "There was to talks about 'us'. Things just... They got side tracked. I couldn't suck it up and do what I needed."

The phrasing caught Nick's attention. He tilted his head back and looked at her. His paws unfolded with his question.

"'Suck it up'? And do what?"

"I don't... I don't know? That day was supposed to be a start. And then it all just went to hell. Part of me we kinda hoping we call the next one a date."

Nick's eyes opened wide. Judy have been on a hair trigger of annoyance that entire day. Nick set it off enough times, he was somewhat sure she would back out of the next weekend. If it had happened.

"What stopped you," He asked flatly.

"Well, I've never done it before. So that didn't help. And I was so wound up. I just got wrapped up in what we were doing and talking about, that it slipped away."

Nick furrowed his brow at her.

"Wait, I thought you had dated in the past though?"

Judy's face looked back at him. There were times when Nick would amaze her with how perceptive he could be about the mammals around him. Nick could work a room he knew almost nothing about. On more than one occasion she had seen him talk his way out of an armed conflict that she was sure had been inevitable. Despite all that skill, he could so easily _miss_ things sometimes.

"Nick. ZPD was kinda, my _life_. I always had other people ask me out, and I said yes. I've never been the initiator..."

They sat in quiet, the admission hanging in the air.

"I'm sorry you got hurt Nick," Judy slipped back into a somber topic. "I didn't really understand what my absence would mean to everyone. I mean, I knew people would be upset, but not like this."

"Eh, I've been through worse." Nick said. _And now we can finally move on, putting that all behind us_.

Judy looked at the clock on his desk. It was getting late. She hid a shake of her foot, pressing it firmly against the bet.

"Hey, I think I am gonna crash soon. Can we pick this up tomorrow?" Judy asked.

"Sure," Nick said.

They stood, and exchanged a quick friendly hug. Judy left for her guest room. Under her breath she cursed her cowardly response again.

Her feet still didn't seem to want to work all that well on their own. She felt tired and exhausted.

_Sleep will fix that_ , she assured herself.

* * *

**9 AM, Bunny Burrow, Hopps Family Farm**

Sleep fixing anything was a terrible terrible lie. She awoke a shivering, sweating mess. Her arms and legs felt like she had just finished a round at the gym, everything just _burned_. She stumbled into the wall just trying to get in and out of the bathroom.

_What is wrong with me this time?_ she wondered to herself. Judy returned to her bed.

Her mother had replaced the sheets on the bed before she had returned from Nick's. Still, Judy could feel the damp moisture from her sweat in the night. It soaked into the sheets around her. It was uncomfortable, but better then shivering out in the cold air of the room. Sleep took her again.

She only vaguely remembered her parents discovering her later in the morning. She had awoken just enough for them to get a thermometer in her mouth, and ask how she felt.

Next she woke, an unfamiliar rabbit stood over her. He wore a paper mouth mask.

"How are you doing this morning, Ms. 'Jane Doe'." The rabbit said with an odd inflection. "I'm Doctor Cotton, can you sit up for me dear?"

He helped her move, Judy shifted her weight up in the bed, against the wooden headboard. The rabbits voice sounded odd through the paper mask over his face.

"My name, it isn't-"

"Oh, the Hopps were kind enough to fill me in Ms. Doe," he interrupted her. His eyes gave her a knowing smile.

"Right," Judy said as the ruse settled past the fog of her nap.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as a cold metal stethoscope snaked down her back.

"It hurts," Judy said with a blank stare into the space of the room. It was strange to have her personal space so quickly invaded.

"What hurts?"

"Everything?"

The doctor looked at her face carefully.

The examination was quick. The doctor already suspected what she had. He took particular care with her head. She was told mostly what she already knew. Bone felt good, tissue was scaring over nicely. His attentions quickly went to her more pressing symptoms. The shakes and pain.

Satisfied, he summoned Judy's parents. They entered with the same white paper mask the doctor wore.

"Northern Treasure Disease," Dr. Cotton said in a flat tone. "She has an almost textbook case."

Judy felt distracted. Idly she played with her claws. They were due for a trim, the weeks away from civilization had let them get slightly out of hand.

"Your uncle's family had that swing through," Stu said in a morbid tone. "It wasn't pretty."

Bonnie looked between him and her daughter, worry filled her eyes.

"Circumstances being different, I'd have a life-flight on its way to your farm already. Jane needs to be in isolation, both for her own care and your safety," the doctor explained. "Given your, unique, circumstances, I take it that isn't going to happen?"

The parents thought carefully before shaking their heads no.

"You said there was a fox staying with you? Family friend?"

"Her partner," Bonnie said softly. The realization brought the doctor's eyebrows up.

"The one from the news?" he asked carefully.

Bonnie nodded.

"Do you two trust this fox?"

"I'd like to think so, I mean he is staying with us. You know, for vacation and all," Stu said.

The doctor shook his head at them. "I mean do you fully trust this mammal with your daughter."

Bonnie looked at her daughter. She spoke without turning away.

"Judy trusts Nick with her life. If that's enough for her, that's enough for us."

Judy smiled at her mom. _They actually listened..._ she thought in a loopy voice.

"Well, that's going to make things a lot easier. This disease doesn't transmit well to non-lagomorphs." He paused, waiting for the question that never came. The Hopps were vigorous taxonomists. He moved on. "Keep out of this room for another day, then wash everything. A light bleach will be enough. Best if you give it a week, just to be sure. It doesn't live long outside the body. Judy here needs to be isolated somewhere, a bit farther from the family if you can help it. Her body is fighting it, but having kits around..."

The doctor's face gave a cautious turn for the door. Northern Treasure Disease had a nasty reputation. Judy was showing the symptoms of an adult. Shakes, fatigue, minor memory lapses. It was a miserable couple of days for adults. Kits were another story. Even with treatment, mortality rates were high.

"I'll call the Grey's, they have some places off in the hills," Stu stated. He turned and hurried out the door.

Dr. Cotton fished out a small set of orange bottles.

"I took the liberty of filling a prescription before getting here. Your explanation of her symptoms made this kinda cut and dry. We need to go talk to that fox though," Dr. Cotton said. Handing Bonnie three orange bottles.

Judy squinted at her mother.

"Mom, when did you call him?" Her head tilted towards the doctor.

Both mammals standing in the room gave each other nervous looks.

"Jane, you're going to be suffering from short term memory lapses until this clears up. Your mother woke you this morning, and called me around seven."

She thought back carefully. Judy didn't remember any conversation with her mother. She looked up to see the three standing at her closed door, talking and gesturing at her. She relaxed back into her damp bedding. Closing her eyes felt very good. She heard the room go quiet, followed by the return of several voices.

Nick frowned as the doctor answered their questions.

"She has a nearly textbook case. The only thing we don't know is _where_ she caught this. Bunnies her age tend to burn through this in a few days. It never gets worse than the symptoms you described. Shakes, fainting and the like? She has it bad. It's concerning that it's gone untreated this long.

"Her fever is high, but not alarming," he took out a folder from his bag, flipping through the loose sheets of paper before extracting one. The page charted various normal rabbit vital signs. He carefully drew lines on several before giving it to Nick.

"I trust you're first responder trained?"

Nick nodded, looking over the numbers on the paper.

"Right now Jane is here," he said pointing to several arrows on the paper. "She is probably going to get worse before she gets better, especially with the asymptomatic nature of her response."

"Reflexes slow? Should we watch that?" Nick asked.

"No, different response time. Normally these things have a pretty clear transmission vector. Rabbits are infected, and show symptoms within days, sometimes hours. 'Jane's' case is more confusing. It's the only thing that makes this stand out. If she had been exposed here at the farm, we wouldn't expect her to show symptoms for another day or two. Bonnie tells me that she was isolated from any other rabbits for the last few weeks. Her body has been cooking on this one for a while. Her reaction is probably more pronounced because she hasn't been fighting it off until now. The infection was left to do what it wanted while her immune system held back.

"That's why you have this chart. These circled numbers? She hits _any_ of these, you need to get her to an emergency room."

"Doc, things are a bit... Complicated right now. It's not like we can walk her into-"

"If she hits those markers, it won't be someone with a gun that kills her." the doctor interrupted. "Even then, these numbers are already pushing it. Not having her at a hospital isn't my first choice."

Nick stared the doctor down, looking for any breaks in his resolve. Slowly he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good. That number on the letterhead is my private line, call it any time," Dr. Cotton said. He gestured to the three bottles in Bonnie's paws. "You're going to be follow the instructions on those bottles _to the letter_."

One by one he pointed to and explained them.

"This is a nasty cocktail, but it will burn out the disease, before it burns out her. She is going to take two a day for seventy-two hours. Keep them at least six hours apart. Do _not_ stop treatment once she feels better. It's going to cause nausea, headaches, fainting, and probably spike her fever a bit. No more than another degree."

Dr. Cotton drove the point home by handing Nick a several page thick stapled packet.

"Read up on it, this should tell you when to tough it out, and when to call me. If the packet says call me, _do it_. We normally don't like to prescribe this this without daily checkups, but I suspect I won't be seeing 'Jane' here for a while."

Nick nodded, his eyes quickly glancing across the neatly organized document.

"This one is a sedative," he said. "Will knock her on her butt quickly. You get three of these. Don't use them if you don't think she needs them. Do _not_ give her two to knock her out. Start with a half pill if you can. Give her a full only if she needs sleep."

Nick was handed another sheet of instructions. His eyes fluttered back and forth across the papers as the information flooded in.

"This is her pain killer. No more than one every six hours. You can mix it with over the counter drugs as needed. It's good stuff, but it has some interesting side effects."

"Side effects?" Bonnie asked.

"Every rabbit is different, but these tend to make most mammals act what would be commonly called 'high', and that's on a good day. Expect 'Jane' to be a bit of a handful on this. We get a lot of interesting stories back when we prescribe this. I trust I don't need to tell you not to go selling these officer?"

Nick smiled.

"No doc, I think you can pass on the aftermarket lecture. Any of these side effects I should be worried about?"

"That's hard to say. Use your judgment on that one. Generally if she isn't in pain, you're going to be okay. Just don't be too worried about her acting abnormal for at least eight hours after she takes it."

Nick looked warily at the bottle, and nodded.

"Good. Come with me, I have a travel bag in the car with some things you're going to need. I wanna see you take vitals too."

"You're the boss," Nick said cheerfully as the two left the room.

Bonnie walked back to the bed. Judy had fallen back asleep at some point in the conversation. She carefully held her daughter's unconscious paw in her own. Stu stood behind her, a supportive paw resting on Bonnie's shoulder.

"She is a fighter, she will make it," Stu reassured her.

"I-I know. It's... We just got her back. She was taken from us, and now it's happening again."

The parents watched over their sleeping daughter, enjoying their precious time together.


	11. Care

**10 AM, Bunny Burrow, Hopps Family Farm**

Doctor Cotton waved to the Hopps, and drove away down the dusty driveway. Nick was all to happy to have him leave. Helpful as he was, the fourth time through the instructions he had been given was getting tiring. He walked back into the house to find Judy's parents sitting at a table, chattering away in their white paper masks.

"You two do know that you don't need to wear those when you're not around her, right?" Nick joined them in an undersized chair.

"Oh, we just don't want to take risks. Our last litter is still so small," Bonnie said trailing off.

"Eh, to each their own Snacks."

Stu looked up at him.

"The Grey's have a cabin, nice and out of the way. They are going to drop a truck off for you to borrow for a few days. I trust it will be returned?"

Nick brought a mocking paw to his chest.

"Sir, you wound me!"

Stu gave him a nervous laugh.

"Old habits die hard fox." Stu said, the mask covering a light hearted smile. He looked to Bonnie with knowing eyes.

"Oh, yes! Nick, I'm going to pack you two a few days of food," she stood and politely excused herself from the room.

Stu waited for the door to close, before turning to Nick. Their relationship had been a strange one for Nick.

"What are your intentions with my daughter Nick?"

Any other mammal would have shit a brick at tone of the question, much less it's context. There is a deep judgmental rage that only a father could unleash, and Stu's eyes were filled with it. They lashed out at Nick, attempting to strip him of any pretense of deceit.

Nick gave a mildly amused look at the rabbit. His defenses were sharp that morning. Stu's attack wouldn't catch him off guard.

"Well, step one is keeping Judy alive. Two is keeping me alive. Step three is planning a cunning escape if step one ever fails. I hear her father has a mean taser arm..."

Stu didn't so much as flinch at the joke, remaining steady is his glare. Nick waited, and sighed.

"I have no intentions with Judy, Mr. Hopps. We are friends, nothing more. I just want to get us to tomorrow. Tomorrow it's the same plan, just make it to the next day."

"How many times do we have to tell you not to call me that? Call me Stu. Makes me feel ancient," Stu stopped and considered the fox. The anger had faded from his eyes. He tried a new tactic. "You are a moron Nick Wilde."

Nick blinked at him with a blank face.

"I'm- wait what?"

"You even wonder why I didn't just shoot you when showed up at our door stop?"

"I always chalked that up to dumb luck of your fox taser being near by but the gun being up in your bedroom."

Stu tilted his head for a moment, almost as if conceding the point.

"No, and I am  _ sorry _ about that," Stu said with a partially forced word. Deep down the regret was genuine. It didn't stop him from feeling justified in defending him from a stranger in the middle of the night. "Bonnie used to muzzle time with Judy every night. After the howler, case Judy  _ really _ opened up to her. Well, for a while she did anyway. It was just, really great while it lasted. She talked about three things Nick. Her job, her city, and you,"

Stu counted off the items with his paw. He let out a long sigh.

"At first I was upset. I was okay with you helping her out, and I worked to accept you could be her friend. Bonnie seemed think you two were going to be more."

Nick game him a surprised look.

"Heh, yeah. She is a surprising one. I think it's where Judy gets her gumption from."

He rested back into his chair.

"I won't lie to you, I wished with all my heart that she was  _ wrong _ . More than once I wanted to march right on down there and try to set her straight. Gods, I've been trying that from the moment Judy's eyes opened.

"I'm doing my best Nick. I work every day to better myself. Hell, our partnership with the Grey's has doubled our business, if not more. I've seen more foxes at our food stand then I thought lived in the whole of the Triburrows. Judy and Bonnie? They taught me to be a better parent, a better mammal. I trust them. Might not agree with their choices all the time, but I do trust them.

"I don't know what a relationship would look like between you two. Honestly, I'm not sure it isn't a crime against nature. But gods help anyone that tries to get in Judy's way once she is set on something."

Stu looked up at Nick, his eyes were steely and serious.

"Mr. Hopp- Stu. Judy and have haven't exactly avoided the issue. Trust me, we have come to actual blows over it."

The rabbits eyes slowly went wide.

"Oh, don't you give me that look. You think I could take Judy in an honest fight?" nick said, pointing back to the guess hallway. "She hit  _ me _ ! Well, most pushed, but that's beside the point here. We talked about it. And a few other things too. I am pretty sure things just need to get talked over so we can move on. Judy is just confused right now. She is reaching out for comfort. Mammals don't go through what she just did without earning a few bumps and bruises. When she is better, and has had time to think, he and I can talk. And then she can move on."

Stu waited patiently for him to stop. His words already prepared.

"It's your call Nick, I wont interfere. I'd say the same for Bonnie, but I think she can't help but meddle."

Nick shook his head at the rabbit.

"After the last few weeks? I don't know. I don't think I can just  _ bounce _ from what I went through. I dunno if she can either. She is gonna need someone who can support her. Judy deserves better-"

"Let me stop you right there," Stu said boldly. He leaned in towards Nick, gesturing at him with a hostile finger. "Judy is one of a kind, and you would be a damned idiot to pass up a chance to share a life with her."

Nick moved back slightly from the spirited rabbit. Stu huffed.

"Now she's made it pretty clear who she thinks you are. What kind of mammal you are." Stu stopped, looking away from Nick. His face became cold. "I've said some terrible things in my day Nick. To predators, and especially to foxes. I'm... I'm learning. I'm seeing you're not all bad mammals. Judy saw you first. She saw what we couldn't, or wouldn't."

There was a pause before Stu turned to face Nick once again.

"If you know the first thing about my daughter, you will know better than to think you're going to know any better than her. Especially about what she does, and does not want. Trust me, I've been there and it's not pretty once she gets determined. If you want out of her life, that's your business. Just don't do it for the wrong reasons. And for the love of gods, don't hurt her. She has been through enough already. If you aren't in the game, let her know."

"Listen, is this really the right time," Nick started.

Stu's eyes narrowed for a moment as he considered Nick's words.

"I don't know the next time I am going to see my daughter Nick. The story she told? Seems nothing goes to plan, not for her right now. I just need to know that my daughter is safe. That she is in good paws. She trust you, that's good enough for me to trust you too. Whatever happens, wherever this all goes. Just do right by her. Do right by my family, okay?"

"You sound like you're trying to make an honest fox out of me," Nick said with a smirk. A deflection from the answers he knew the rabbit wanted.

"Hasn't Judy already done that?" Stu asked plainly. He said it as easily as he would declare the sky being blue, or water being wet.

The question struck a chord in Nick's mind. Before he could answer, Bonnie returned to the room wheeling a travel cooler.

"Got y'all a week's worth of ready to go meals," She said cheerfully setting it down next to Nick. Her face quickly looked between the two. "Oh heavens, did I interrupt something?"

"Naw," Stu said with the shame cheer his was had used. "Just giving poor Nick survival advice for the trip."

A polite horn chirped outside.

"Annnnd, that would be the Grey's. Come on Nick, Judy should be finished dressing by now," Stu said cheerfully.

The trio hustled the kits away, clearing out the mail hall. They found Judy sitting at the edge of her bed, panting away staring at the floor. Her parents shared the burden of helping her out to the truck. In turns they bore her weight. She didn't really seem aware of their good byes. With a chirp of the horn, Nick whisked their daughter away.

**7 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County**

The truck rolled to a gentle stop. The cabin had been right where Nick had been told, although he made a mental note to ask Stu what he meant by 'up the in the hills'. This was  _ back _ country. The farm alone had been a weird adjustment. Nick's whole life was in the city. Dirt dug buildings, home brewed coffee. All of it had been so different then his home.

Back in Zootopia, amenities and services were never more than a few blocks away. Out here shopping was planned days in advance. The Hopps would pile into cars, and a large box van off to their local market. The kits would scatter, buying up what provisions they could afford. They did their best to rotate through the whole family, but it could still be months between shopping trips for some of them.

Now he had taken another step away from his comfortable life. The cabin was well built for it's location. The paint looked fresh even. A small shed sat a few dozen meters into the woods, a bundle of cables running from it to the main building.

Nick looked over at his sleeping passenger. She was shivering, wrapped in two layers of blankets and they still had the heat on. He reached into the bag and took out the thermometer. It was an older model, still measuring from the ear. He figured it was probably why they had it in a travel bag.

Shifting her slightly, he raise her ear and quickly stick it in, depressing the button. Judy squirmed to move away, the seat belt held her in place. She groaned as she strange sensation woke her.

"Nick," she drew out his name in a long complaint. "Why?"

"Something about not frying that fuzzy little brain I think," he replied. Her temperature was stable. Same it had been since they left the burrow. He pulled out a small notepad and write the time down. Nick didn't trust himself to remember if things were getting better or worse for the small rabbit. His academy training kicked in. Document  _ everything _ .

"You rest here a few minutes while I figure out where we are gonna put you, okay?"

"I should sleep with my litter mates, they are the  _ best _ at snuggles," Judy said in a groggy voice.

Nick paused, looking at her with apprehension.  _ Doc said to expect confusion and short term memory lapses _ , he assured himself and opened the door to the chilly outside air.

The truck had been a wonderful, almost steamy temperature. The air up here was thin and bitterly cold. The sun had long since fallen below the horizon.

He walked off a trodden trail towards the shed. He fumbled through the small bundle of keys he had been given. Opening the door, he was greeted with a mostly empty room, and a large green machine sitting in the middle. A simple piece of laminated paper was attached to a panel of buttons.

"Generator Checklist," he read aloud. "Inspect fuel level, check. Check oil, check. Check breakers, check. Check the checklists check, check." Nick chuckled at his wit. Hours of driving in mostly silence had taken their tole on him.

Depressing the large green button, the generator clicked several times before roaring to life.

Nick made several trips to the truck to bring the cans of fuel they had been given. They easily had enough for a week long trip, more if they cut it at night. Carefully he stacked them against the fall wall. Returning he found Judy still sleeping in her seat, a single paw having snaked out of her blanket cocoon while he had been busy.

"Just a few more minutes Fluff," he assured the sleeping rabbit.

He hurried to the house, opening the door and turning on what lights he could find. Things were about as clean as he would have expected a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It was very simple in it's layout. The front door connected to a large living space. A large set of couches sat facing a window, with a deck out back. A dining table was closer to the front, with room for a dozen fox sized guests. The rafters to the roof were exposed, covered with various hooks and pulleys. A smattering of sleeping bags, fishing poles and packed tents hung motionless above him.

The space snaked around to the left, a small kitchen area. A refrigerator churned away, finally awake to begin cooling it's empty self down. Nick wandered to the cabinets and inspected them. Simple metal dishes, used and worn. One cabinet was filled with canned provisions, and an absurd amount of beans.

In the back, a collection of rooms ran allow a narrow hallway. A single master bedroom, with a cozy two fox bed pressed into a tight space. The other rooms were all bunk beds. Somewhere in the cellar, a water pump churned to life. Nick opened the bathroom door.

The room was almost comically small. The floor angled down to a corner, a shower head sat over it. No lip or curtain to speak of. The toilet sat across the cramped space, small stains of water coating it's front surface.

"Practical I suppose," Nick said to the room and left.

He fetched a cup and spoon from the kitchen, setting it on the nightstand next to the master bed. Taking the spoon, he rapped it onto the metal cup. In echoed in the room. Figuring that he could hear Judy taping even if she wasn't pulling much effort into it, he surveyed the house a final time.

Without anything left to prepare, he went to recover the napping bunny. In the still since Nick had left, Judy slid her head against the window. Nick cursed his lack of a cell phone. Her smashed up face would have make a fantastically unflattering photo. He stood in the chilly air for a few moments to enjoy the sight.

Carefully, he crawl it from the driver's side of the truck. It was easy to unbuckle her, and scoop her gently into his arms. Her eyes half opened as the cool surface of the window was stolen from her. The whine she gave would have been comical if he hadn't felt so bad for her.

Judy swiveled her head around as they hit the cool air.

"Where?" came her groggy voice as her eyes tried to blink away their irritation.

"The Grey's camp. Your home away from home so that you don't become a biological hazard to your family," Nick replied. A brief moment of panic took him. Bogo had never really told him just how bad SCAR's enemies might be.  _ Could they get something into her system once they knew she was going home? And why? _

Judy shifted in the blankets she was wrapped in. Nick held her close as they entered the cabin, and he could finally close the door with a foot.

"How long was I out?" Judy asked, her coherency finally coming back. Her one free paw rubbed at her eyes and forehead.

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?"

Judy looked forwards as they entered the master bedroom. Her eyes went wide at sight of the relatively massive bed.

"I remember the farm, and a doctor?"

Nick sat her on the edge of the bed, and helped free her arms from the blankets. He gave her a concerned look.

"Anything, else maybe?" Nick asked, spreading his paws with the question.

Judy shook her head slowly.

"It's that memory thing huh?" Judy asked.

He nodded back to her.

"We had a conversation every hour or so on the way. You would wake up, talk a little, but go loopy and fall asleep. You've been out about six hours since we left the farm."

Judy face turned away, shame flushing across it. Nick's paw reacted instantly, gently pulling her chin to face him.

"None of that crap Judy, don't give me that look."

"Why  _ shouldn't _ I? Ever sense I came back to the farm I've become useless. Worse, a  _ burden _ . Now your stuck up in the middle of nowhere with a rabbit you don't want to be anywhere near," Judy drew a careful controlled breath. "And I just feel  _ ashamed _ of all this crap. I'm helpless."

Her paws scrapped at her head. She winced.  _ Dammit I need to trim those. _

"Okay Judy, seeing as how are are going to be stuck here, let's lay down some ground rules," Nick started. He was careful to use her real name. It caught her attention better. "First, you can toss that shame out the gods damned window. You are sick, you need someone to care for you, and I can't catch this. Your family could have, so they were out of the running. Taking you to a hospital would have sent up more red flags then we know. Even if I  _ could _ catch this, I am your friend. Friends help each other. So if you wanna feel shame, pick some new drum to beat, because that one is  _ gone _ .

"Secondly, I dunno where you got the impression that I drive six hours, up into the boonies, alone with mammals that I dislike. I mean, maybe for a con back in the day, but last I checked your ass was broke. And besides, your family already loves me, so you can't even hold  _ that _ over me."

Nick took the bag he had grabbed from the truck and dropped it on the bed. He pointed to his cup and spoon on the night table.

"Thirdly, this is your help bell."

"Help bell?" Judy said with an unconvinced look.

"It's bell you ring for help." He demonstrated it by tapping the spoon firmly on the cup. "Place is dead quiet up here, I should be able to hear it as long as I am not showering."

Judy nodded, turning to crawl up and under the thick sheets of the bed.

"I.. Um take it you want dinner in bed?" Nick asked.

"I'm not hungry, and everything just burns and hurts," She replied groggily as she wiggled herself into a warm position. They had given her the first round of medication when they left the house. The painkillers had dropped her into a deep sleep within an hour. It seemed the effects had started to wear thin with time.

"Tough one there Carrots, you need your meds before bed. I need you to eat, just a little. Maybe some leafy salad?" Nick wasn't sure what would sound good to her then, he just needed something in her. She gave him a weak hearted thumb up.

Nick bounced out of the room, happy to be up on his feet after such a long drive. The cooler her mother had packed was still in the back of the truck. Nick leaned in and grabbed it easily. Returning to the kitchen, he plopped it on the floor and opened it.

A multitude of resealable baggies filled the cooler. Bonnie had written their names on each, colored coded with their eyes. Bag by bag he moved them to the refrigerator. It didn't feel cold yet, but it was getting there. The cabin's heaters had only kicked on with the generator itself. Only the leftover heat from the day's light kept the rest of the cabin warm.

Looking at the loose piles of bags now in the refrigerator, Nick picked what he hoped was something good. He fetched a bowl and fork and returned to find Judy snoring in the same position he had left her. Gently he rocked her shoulder until she woke up.

"No, now is sleep," she said as her eyes opened back to the well lit room.

"Food, then pills, then sleep. I promise," Nick said waving the bowl in front of her.

"Aw, carrot tips," Judy said looking into the bowl.

"Um, not to correct you, but I am pretty sure that's just some leafs Fluff."

Judy chuckled as she propped herself up to eat. The cool air of the room felt fantastic, but she shivered as her sweaty body cooled rapidly.

"These are the best parts of a carrot. Most people think we like the orange roots, but that's just some urban legend. Mean, don't get me wrong, it's all good stuff." Judy forked small bits at a time into her mouth, and chewed them with a look of bliss. "Mom cut the best parts for me, it's not really the tip of the leaf, but we always called it that."

"Well, looks like you got a decent supply of it then." Nick left, and quickly returned with a bottle of water. "Grey's said the water filter needs changing before we drink from the tap. This will have to do for now."

Nick reached down and retrieved her medications from the bag. He didn't think that she would really need a sedative at the moment, and returned it to the bag. He doled out the medication, leaving the painkiller on the night table unopened.

Finishing her meal, Judy took the pill.

"How long was I out on the ride up anyway?" she asked.

Nick frowned at her.

"I... Um, already asked that I take it?"

He nodded.

"You were out for six hours. Doc says that stuff will burn whatever this is out of you, but you're in for a rough ride in the meantime. You want pain medication now?"

Judy shook her head.

"I'll wait until I need it. Right now, sleep."

"Ring the bell if you need anything."

Judy looked at him with a perplexed look. A question mulled in her mind, unasked. Nick waited, but it seemed to dissipate.

"Night Slick," Judy said, rolling away and onto her oversized pillow.

"Good night Judy."


	12. Medications

**9 AM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

The night had been peaceful. Nick had stayed up as long as he could, stared into the underside of a bunk bed. At some point sleep had taken him. He awoke, his eyes surveyed the dim light of the morning that shown under his door. They shot open as his ears caught on to a moan of pain.

In a flash Nick was up and out the door, a second later beside Judy's bed. Her body moved slowly to his eyes, writhing in slow motion. Her paw gripped at her head, the other remained hidden somewhere in the tangle of sheets. Nick's eyes sat wide, his paws hovering over her body, unsure of what to do. 

"Carrots?" Nick asked, his voice still hoarse from the dry air and sleep. "Judy, I need you to tell me what hurts."

"Argh,  _ everything _ ," Judy replied. Her paw came down over the blanket, clenching in surface. It shook with the effort. "Make it  _ stop _ , please."

The voice cut through Nick's panic like a knife. Every inch of him tensed, preparing for work. His head snapped to the pain pills on the table. 

"Take this," he said, holding the pill carefully between two claws. Judy's eyes wondered a moment before locking onto the small yellow pill inches from her mouth. She nodded, opening her mouth as wide as the pain would allow. 

A second later a bottle of water was brought to her lips. Swallowing, she shook violently. Her whole body felt like it was in a vice, her skin tingled and burned. Everything was on edge. 

"How, how long?" Judy asked. 

Nick glanced at the bottle now sitting capped on the night stand. His mind flashed back to their academy training. 

'Lie to them,' the instructor had said. 'No matter what's wrong, no matter how bad it is, you lie. Mammals without hope don't fight to live. Mammals who don't fight to live, die. Plain and simple. You need to put pressure on a wound? Tell them it's going to make the pain go away faster. Ambulance in fifteen minutes out? Tell them five. There is a damned good reason doctors tell you something won't hurt. It makes you complacent, you feel what you expect.' 

"Shouldn't take more than a few minutes," Nick lied to her. The instructions on the bottle were pretty clear, thirty minutes or more. 

His paw came to rest at her shoulder. Hers snapped from her grip on the blanket to his wrist. Sharp, untrimmed claws bit through his fur cutting into his skin. Nick held back a hiss, and returned the strength of the grip on her shoulder. 

Judy shuttered for a moment. Nick's grip was hard, it washed in with the rest of the pain. It was however, better than the convulsing she wanted to do. Nick's grip was strong, powerful, but more importantly it was distracting. Some strange panic riled up from the pit of her nearly empty stomach. Panic about a fox. A fox with claws, claws that were almost at her neck. 

The panic was a good distraction.

_ Harder dammit _ she willed. 

Her claws dug deeper, now with conscious effort. Judy's eyes pleaded up at Nick. 

_ I need this _ , she thought. 

Nick's face remained cold, focused. His mind was on alert, ready to handle the satiation like he was trained. With a slight nod he allowed his claws to rotate down, contacting her skin. Judy's eyes burned up at him, not even flinching at the contact. Slowly they pressed in, not enough to cut, but enough to  _ hurt _ . 

A shudder of relief came from her. The pain didn't feel better. Rightfully so, Nicks claws  _ burned _ , but it took the focus away. It was a new place for her mind to encircle and worry about. It let her have a few moments to breath. Judy's world slowly came back to her, centering on herself. 

"Thank you," she said, releasing his wrist. "I just needed..."

"A distraction," Nick finished her trailing sentence. 

Judy's breaths came in a short, harsh, panting rhythm. Her eyes wandered out and across the room. Nothing seemed worth focussing on. The shaking crept back to her. 

_ Why does everything burn?! _ her mind screamed as she clenched her eyes shut. A gentle paw on her arm snapped her attention back again. 

Carefully, Nick moved down to take her paw into both of his. His fingers worked slowly and carefully, massaging and moving along the bones, fingers and ligaments of her paw. Time felt odd, and fluid to her as he worked. His touch was anything but gentle. This distraction lasted. Judy watched with fascination as he moved up and down her paw in small, almost hypnotic movements. 

She barely noticed as the painkiller began to work its effects. Slowly the, the need to shake went away. Soon the burning stopped. As the aches in her bones gave way to a soft floating feeling in her head, Judy thanked him again. 

Her body gave into the exhaustion, falling asleep again. 

**12 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

Nick hunched into a short crawl space. The entire cabin had been built on a foundation, but it simply did not run deep enough into the ground for a proper cellar. Instead, a storage space was left behind. It looked like a strange sort of museum. The space was almost completely filled with odd bits, bobbles and boxes. In one corner, broken abandoned bicycles formed a strange haunting pile. In another sat a line of wine racks, although not a single of bottle of wine was among its assortment. 

The Grey's had welcomed him to enjoy anything in their collection, but it still felt like too much. Nick had simply moved deeper into the space. 

Nick found a collection of small, child sized instruments. He pocketed a small hand bell from the set. 

"Pay dirt!" He half shouted opening the next box. His prize for coming down here in the first place. A collection of ancient, tattered books. Something to break the monotony while Judy slept. Nick closed the lid, scooped the entire box up and returned to the living area. 

Nick checked his watch. It was time to check up on Judy again. His precious distractions would have to wait. It wasn't like he was in a rush to go anywhere. 

Openly the door to her room carefully, he whispered out. 

"Carrots, you with us?"

His eyes locked on to the rabbits form. Her eyes were wide, facing upwards. Judy was otherwise perfectly still. In two strides he was next to her bedside. His weight pressed against the side of the bed, causing her attention to snap over to him. She blinked and furrowed her brow at him. 

"The ceiling won't stop," she said with annoyance. 

Nick's jaw held open. A split second ago Judy had been doing a perfectly acceptable impression of a corpse. Now she was talking nonsense. 

"What?!" 

"The ceiling!" Judy's paw pointed up at the rafters in her room. "It won't  _ stop _ ."

"It won't stop doing what?" Nick asked in confusion. 

"I dunno." Judy paw flopped back onto the surface of the bed. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for entertainment, apparently I should have been here talking to you. Think we could get some food in you?"

Judy's face contorted with concentration. She thought slowly and carefully. Nick put a paw to his muzzle to hold back a laugh. Judy's nose twitched furiously, looking like it was trying to escape her face. She didn't seem to pay him any attention. 

"Yes?" Judy said. Her voice was unsure, distracted. 

"Okay, give me a minute."

Nick left, returning with fresh bowl of something else her mother had packed, along with his own. Judy took the bowl, looking at it suspiciously. He waited a minute, seeing what she would do. 

"Not hungry?"

Judy shook her head after a moment's pause. 

"It's not that, I just want it to stop  _ moving _ first."

"Thats your pain killer talking. Trust me, that bowl isn't filled with anything alive."

Judy pursed her lips to the side. Cautiously she stabbed at the leafs and began to eat. 

They munched in silence for the meal. Nick took and clean their dishes. He returned with a chair to sit by her side.

"I'm being annoying right now, aren't I?" Judy asked plainly as he sat down. 

"Oh, Carrots, you are about as far from annoying as I've ever seen you get," Nick said with a smile. 

"But, I don't make sense," Judy replied, looking away from him. 

"You're drugged up. Why would you? Speaking of, how's the pain?"

She looked at her paws, carefully inspecting them. 

"It's... Weird. I am in pain, I  _ know that _ . It's all there. But it feels... Displaced? It's like I don't care about the pain."

"But you're okay?" Nick asked. 

"Yeah, but... Can we not do so much next time?"

"Do so much what?"

"The pain stuffs," Judy replied, her paws circling her head. "That pill, can I not take so much?" Judy asked as her eyes wandered across the surface of her bed.

"Judy. You were in a  _ lot _ of pain this morning. You just about tried to rip my arm off."

She looked up, partially puzzled and worried. 

"But... I'll get teased for this later. I know it."

"Judy, is that really what you're worried about? Teasing? Listen, no teasing I promise." Nick held up his paw as if taking an oath. 

Judy's face held it's pose before frowning at him. 

"But I  _ like _ it when you tease me."

Nick's limbs fell, limp with defeat. His jaw worked a moment before he spoke. 

"Well, you got this much going Fluff, I still can't win. Here, I am gonna go get some stuff to settle in here for a bit okay?"

He returned with his box of books, and a few bottles of water. Judy watched him with a calm expression he read the descriptions of the book one by one. It surprised him, a lot of these books were old adventure novels. Back from an age where the bad mammal was  _ always _ a predator. He couldn't fathom why a family of foxes had so many of them. 

They settled on an old detective book. Judy seemed to only half pay attention as Nick read into the night. Her head would wonder from time to time, lock onto to something in the room, studying it intently. Time and again she would need to be caught up in the story. 

**8 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

Nick dropped the notepad onto the dining room table. The notes had started back at the Hopps house. Over and day and a half of temperatures, heart rates, blood pressures and behavioral observations now lined page after page of the tiny book. 

He didn't mind the work. Mentally it was all a stakeout, and more paperwork. Just another day at the office, keeping Judy from jumping off another cliff. Her episodes under the painkiller were concerning, but he stayed true to the doctor's advice. Judy would waiver slowly between idle distraction, or nonsensical conversations. Nick gave up on trying to read to her after finishing the first book. 

At her continued requests, they had agreed to half her doses for the evening and see where she ended up. The small bell he had found in the cellar chimed from her room. 

"Finally remember you can use that huh?" Nick said entering the room. 

Judy sat on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling down. Her head leaned ever so slightly over, looking down at the floor below. She looked up to him with a worried look. 

"I need to use the bathroom again."

Nick gave her a nod, and gently helped her to the floor. 

"Looks like you got your sea legs back a bit?" Nick asked as he let her carry as much weight as she could handle. His wrapped around her side, while he offered the his free paw for her to hold for stability. 

"Mmm huh" she responded in an awkward, if not affirmative tone. 

Upon reaching the toilet, Nick let go of her side, and gingerly tried to free himself from her grip. Judy gave him a doubtful glance. 

"I'll be just outside okay?"

She nodded letting him go. From the corner of his eye he caught her dropping her pants before he had even left the room. 

He leaned against the far wall in the hall and waited for her to call for assistance. Nick hated these odd quiet moments. When he was reading, or watching her it was easy to stay in the moment. To stay focused on the task at hand. Downtime was the devil's plaything. His mind wandered to all manner of unpleasant thoughts and ideas. At that moment, it reminded him of how he used to feel for her. There was a time when he would have given just about anything to spend time alone with Judy. 

They were quickly brushed aside. Nick had a different purpose now. He would care for her. Show real devotion to her well being. The old feelings churned beneath the surface. 

_ Get a fucking grip Wilde _ he said to himself, his paws pressing firmly onto the base of his ears.  _ She isn't even well right now. This is not the time... _

"Little help?" came the small voice through the door, accompanied with the rushing of water. Nick idly wondered how much it had cost the Grey's to get plumping up here. 

Nick calmly padded in, stopping in his tracks. The toilet loudly swilled with water, while Judy lay in a heap off to the side. Her pants tangled in a mess about her ankles. With a breath to keep his mind focused, Nick walked over to begin scooping her up and dressing her again. 

"How'd you manage that?"

"Reached for the handle, hit it and slipped." She said, refusing to look at him. Quickly she was back on her feat, pj's restored to a dignified position and marched back to her room. 

"Can I get you anything?" Nick asked, getting her final pills for the day. 

"Could you, stay here for a bit?" Judy said, still refusing to look at him.

"No problem," he replied moving for his chair. Judy's paw catch him before he could leave the side of the bed. 

"No," she said, shaking her head. Her free paw slowly, almost embarrassingly, pointed to the spot beside her. "Please?"

Nick's gaze bolted from her, to the bed and back. His paw came to a rest on her shoulder. He waited patiently for her to look up at him. 

"Judy, I don't think I would feel... Okay laying in bed with you like this."

Judy let out an angry huff, slamming her paws onto the bed. The sudden motion gave Nick a start. 

"Nick, what is so  _ wrong _ with me?"

His eyes frantically searched her posture, trying to get a read on where she was going. Moments earlier she seemed nothing more that ashamed of her accident in the bathroom. 

_ It's the pain meds _ his mind explained away.  _ This is just another emotional outburst from them _ .

"There is nothing 'wrong' with you," he said quoting with his fingers. "It's just I'm not sure you're in the right state of mind to ask me to share a bed with you."

"Bullshit," she flatly replied. He could smell something in the air, but couldn't quite pin it. "You have been avoiding me since I came back. You act all polite and gentle when I fall or get hurt, but the moment I..." Her voice trailed off in lost thought. Her face twisted as she tried to find the train again. The frustration pained him to watch. 

"It's okay, take your time." Nick twisted his body, sitting to rest on the edge of the bed. His tail curled around his side away from her. She sighed before continuing. 

"It's just. I keep trying, and... No. I keep trying to ask you. But you always feel like you say no?" She stuttered through the half formed question. 

"Ask me  _ what _ exactly?"

"Would you touch me tonight?" Judy blurted out. 

All pretense of being calm and collected left Nick's mind. Instantly his proximity to her made him vastly more uncomfortable. He moved to leave the bed, only to have an unexpectedly strong paw affix itself to his arm, just below the elbow. He give her a bewildered look and stopped moving away.

"No! No that came out wrong. All wrong," Judy rushed to correct herself. "Dammit, even with the lower dose this is... Arguh, everything is fuzzy. No, I don't want  _ that _ with you."

Conflict shot across Nick's head. He truly did  _ agree _ with the statement. He had no intentions of any kind of intimacy with a drugged up friend. For some reason, beyond his understanding, it still felt like a stinging rejection. 

"Judy I..."

"I just need someone next to me okay?" Judy said, with a look of relief that she had finally gotten her question out. Her eyes looked back up to him. "Bunnies, we don't sleep alone a lot. We are... Social. I keep waking up, and no one is here, and I don't remember the bell, and things hurt, and...." Her breath ran out. 

"Okay okay Fluff, don't hurt yourself," Nick said, placing his paw onto hers. Slowly her grip vanished and it felt back to her. 

_ Okay, this is simple. Just friends offering comfort right? _ he assured himself.  _ Who the fuck am I kidding, this is going to end in fire _ .

"Let me go change, I promise I'll be right back."

"No shirt," Judy said, the unsure embarrassed tone returning. Nick chuffed back at her. 

"Wanna run that by me again?"

"Please," she said, her paws worked uselessly at the edge of her sheet. Her response was clear, Judy didn't want to explain this. Not now. 

"I'm gonna get shot," Nick said, paws up in the air as he left the room. "I'm going to listen to that fuzzy little moron, and do something I regret, and I am going to get shot by an angry farmer. Never thought I'd die in a damn country song."

  
  


He marched past his room, and left the cabin. Turning outside, he came to the shed just off into the woods and topped off the generator for the night. 

Returning to the cabin, Nick stopped at the door. He let out a curt puff of air, turned and sat on the steps of the porch. Tension gripped his chest. 

_ Nothing is going to happen _ he chanted in his mind, as if the repetition would someone concrete the fact into reality. He relaxed in the cool air of the night, taking a few minutes to enjoy the clear view of the stars above. His paws fiddled, pressing palm to palm and sliding in lazy circles.

Everything Judy was asking for was innocent. She was right, rabbits were natural born snugglers. The desire to say no tore at him. 

"This is your compromise Wilde," he said quietly to the crisp night. "This is where the line gets drawn, and you finally get to stop inching forward. Just... Give her this. Let her feel what she needs to. When she gets better we can agree to just, step away."

Judy's bell rang from within cabin. A strong, annoyed sounding flick of a ring. Nick drew his courage, and stepped up and away from the sanctuary of the steps. He didn't waste any time rescuing his night pants from the duffel bag in his room. For a moment he held the thin material of a grey shirt, before dropping it back to the bag and leaving. 

"Everything okay?" He asked, returning to the bedroom. 

Judy's head perked back up from the blankets. 

"I wanted to talk before the pain pills kick back in."

The math worked through his head quickly. It had been at least six hours since she had taken a half dose, and perhaps fifteen minutes since the half dose that they hoped would carry her through the night. 

A paw raised the edge of sheets, a welcoming. Nick looked back at the door, daring himself to just run away. 

"You know, we could give you a sedative for the night. Doc said it would knock you out cold," Nick offered. 

Silence. A gentle puffing of breath came and went. Shrugging in defeat, Nick turned back to face her. The paw was gone, and the sheets lay flat again. His ear perked. Judy sobbed quietly, trying desperately to hide the noise. With a flick of a switch, the room became dark. 

_ I'm never drugging this bunny again _ Nick thought as he rounded the bed and crawled into his side. He flopped down, enough force to let her know he was there. And there he waited patiently. It took minutes for the nearly silent crying to stop, and then the question. 

"What's so wrong with me Nick?" Judy's voice was practiced, careful.

"Nothing is  _ wrong _ I told you that. I am just-"

"You just offered to sedate me rather than sleep next to me." Her voice fought against the quivering in her chest. Nick's paws came up, above his head, and dropping with audible smack on his forehead. 

"Judy, I just want you to be okay. Foxes aren't exactly the most.... Physically comforting types?"

A loud sniffle of mucus came from the far side of the bed. 

"But you act... Like... I'm ugly or something."

_ Oh sweet mother... _ Nick cursed. 

"I'm  _ scared _ of this, okay?" he blurted into the dark. His eyes tried to focused, his night vision coming to him slowly. "This isn't something I expected."

Seconds ticked by, only breathing coming from the side of the bed. 

"You can go. I'm sorry I asked for this," Judy said in defeat.

_ Oh, can we just be past this bullshit? _ Nick wanted to scream.  _ You got me in here, just.. Dammit Judy _

"No. I'm your friend. I don't understand what you are trying to get from me, but I'm going to be here. Right by your side."

The silence returned. Nick wasn't sure if she was stifling it, or her breath was actually calming down. 

"Thank you..." she replied. 

Nick waited, wondering if she had more to say or add. Hearing nothing he rolled over, facing to her. 

"So how does this work anyway?"

"How was what work?" Judy asked back.

"I don't know, whatever it is you've asked me here for."

She offered no words, bleaching slightly in the darkness. 

"I'm not joking here Fluff, I really don't know what you want from me."

"Just... Get comfortable. Rabbits tend to pile onto others that are already sleeping. It's easier if you just... Do what you need." Her voice sounded embarrassed. Nick couldn't piece to gather why the explanation she had offered merited the uncomfortable tone. 

"Okay," he replied. Adjusting the pillow, he curled his legs up slightly and let his body relax. His legs and tail completed a sort of crescent shape, his back facing away from her. Nick felt the gentle depression as her light frame worked it's way under the blankets towards him. 

  
Nick's paws couldn't seem to find a place to be comfortable. The room was cold, but somehow it felt suddenly clammy. He drew a breath, and held it. 


	13. Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mistake last week resulted in Chapter Titles being shifted. sorry!

**10 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

It always surprised Nick to feel how small Judy really was. Lifting her off the ground wasn't a trivial thing to do, but she didn't have nearly his body mass. Everything about her was tiny. 

She worked her way over to him with an odd caution. His ears twitched, centered on any creek or noise she made. From beneath the blanket he felt her stop, and heard a short burst of sniffs. His body tensed, breathing stopped. 

_ What in the world is she doing? _ Nick wondered, frozen in place. His arms and legs felt an odd sourness with effort of staying still. 

Finally, mercifully, he felt something push at his arm. His breath released in a wave. Lifting his elbow slightly, Judy pressed her head quickly under it and into his chest. He felt a strong breath come against his chest. In a sudden jerk, Judy rotated herself under his arm and into him. Her back firmly pressing into his chest, spooning against him.

The sensation was unexpected. Nick hadn't really worked out her request for him not to wear a shirt. Part of him had chalked it up to the drugs now working their way through her system. On the other paw, he remembered just how  _ relaxed _ the Hopps had been around their house. Naked kits ran just about everywhere. Nudity wasn't commonplace, but it didn't turn any heads either. 

Nick had heard stories of foxes going through only brief nudity phases as pups. They seemed to grow out of it in a matter of months, if it happened at all. Rabbit? Whole different ball game. They seemed to grow slowly into clothing. 

On some levels it did make sense. Hundreds of children would be a fortune in clothes. Skipping the first few years just saved the farm money. 

Thinking back, Nick couldn't remember either of Judy's parents reacting very shocked to her nudity during her fall back at the farm. He had other things to worry about, like Judy potential concussion at the time. Now it just seemed odd to him. 

Odder still was the sensation on his chest. He felt the fur of Judy back wiggle and grind into him as she forced herself into his chest. 

"Judy?"

Her body stopped moving. 

"Hmm?"

"What happened to your top," Nick asked. He kept his voice free of any judgment as best he could, or panic. 

"Can we not ask that question right now?" Judy asked. The question felt awkward, and absurd. 

"I'm not entirely sure we are going to have a  _ better _ time to discuss this."

"No."

"What?" Nick asked, his paw gentle come to rest on her naked shoulder. 

"I said,  _ no _ ."

"Hey, I am all for 'No Means No' here, but this is a bit out there? Are you wearing..."

"I'm not naked Nick," Judy interrupted his question. "Eh, it's an... Instinct thing. Okay? It's just more comforting when I do it this way. This is just sorta how bunnies work..."

Nick allowed his breath to come loudly through his nose. Again, something in the room smelled off. Some odd coppery odor he couldn't pin. In a flash it was gone, replaced with the rich smell of wooden cabin. 

"So, you wanted to talk about something then?" Nick asked.

He felt her head rotate. 

"No. Everything is getting fuzzy again. I'll say something... Wrong? Or backwards?"

Judy's small form worked itself against him again. 

"Good night," he whispered into the sheets. 

Silence captured the room, save the distance droning of the generator. 

_ Great _ , Nick thought to himself.  _ Just let her fall asleep, and then you can give her some personal space. Nothing wrong, nothing inappropriate, no one needs to get shot here. Not tonight. So sir-ree.  _

Nick's thoughts wandered back to the farm. Back to his first few days. 

They had put Nick to work, helping to stack and sort the stock from the year's harvest into various boxes for shipping. His height had made him a sort of fork lift for the boys that ran the shipping dock out back. It amused Nick how strong the stocky little guys had been. He couldn't hold a candle to their endurance. The summer kept them out in the fields most of the time. It seemed the used the off season to good effect, moving heavy produce from the cold storage below. 

In was his free time he had used to explore the various snaking hallways of the burrow. In particular he had enjoyed the underground garden they had recently started. A large underground mound of dirt sloped against a matching ceiling. UV lamps lined the ceiling, combined with more basic lighting. The mound had a nice thick layer of grass, with flowers growing in various wooden boxes. 

After the initial shock of having a fox in their home had worn away, a small fan club had formed to torment him. Bonnie and Stu had laughed at his vain attempts to hide from their attentions. It seemed only meal times were sacred. Bonnie forcing them to sit and eat, leaving Nick at peace. The rest of the day was open season. 

The small garden served as a sort of sanctuary, briefly. It had taken less than a day for the hellish band of girls to find him. 

On one particular evening they had cornered him with a stack of small books,  _ demanding _ to be read to. Over the course of an hour they had fallen asleep in the grassy room, all stacked on his legs and feet as he leaned against a tall flower bed to read. 

The gardeners had show him no mercy, taking pictures from afar and giggling at his entrapment. It took him forever to extract himself from their sleeping forms, and retreat to his room. 

It had been the first time Nick had really witnessed the behavior. Sure, he would catch the odd set of rabbits napping, but he had never seen nearly a dozen pile on top of one another. It seemed strange, and uncomfortable, but they didn't protest as their siblings crawled over them. 

His mind snapped back to the present, a new sound had started in the room. Nick's head snapped, ears swiveling rapidly to find the source. It was more than just a noise he realized, it vibrated through his chest. It was far too quiet, there was no thundering bass to cause what he felt. His eyes looked down at the lump under the blankets he now spooned around. 

_ Is she... Purring? _

Relaxing his head back down, he allowed the unexpected sound from Judy to envelop him. In all his years, he had never really paid attention to rabbit biology. Even at their peak, his curiosities had never unearthed much about instinctual vocalizations. It was strangely relaxing to hear.

The noise resonated through their contact into his chest cavity. It carried him into the gentle current of sleep. 

**7 AM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

The gentle lapse into catatonia had been a graceful moment for Nick. Curled around his best friend, allowing the gentle pulsing of her unexpected purring to utterly envelop him. It was dignified, protective. A chance to offer warmth, comfort and trust to a friend. The sound had triggered some protective feeling deep within him. All the worries he carried just seemed to wash away. 

Sleeping Nick had been less thoughtful. The blankets had become twisted and churned in the night. He lay on his back, his right leg pushed well into the cold morning air of the room. If anything, the foot provided a welcome relief, the rest of his body was still covered in some unseen weight, and  _ warm _ . 

The vale of sleep started to pull away quickly as Nick became more aware of his surroundings. His chest had a weight on it, and it was radiating heat. His eyes opened, and tilted downward. Directly into a foot. 

_ What? _ He asked, suddenly a lot more confused and awake. Judy's foot rested relaxed against his collarbone, slicking just out of the blankets. His paw came in to find the rest of her, lying nearly flat on her back on top of him, her head resting right on his belly button. 

Judy let out a half snore when he touched a flopped ear laying off to his side. Her foot twitched at his face. It was like having a loaded gun cocked right at his face. Carefully, slowly, Nick wiggled his head out of the firing range of the foot. Only then did he call out her name, rocking her slightly to rouse her. 

"Judy?"

Nick's precautions did little to save him. Judy woke with a start. A split second later her claws had come down on his sides, desperately searching for leverage to control herself. In some sort of panic, her body twisted atop him, trying to get solid ground. The twist lined her foot back up with the side of his head and fired. Pain shot through him as Judy rocketed away into into the tangle of blankets on the bed. 

"Son of a bitch!" Nick exclaimed against the sudden impact. 

"Waaa? Huh?!" Judy said as her head found a hole in sheets to poke up through. "Nick?!"

"Remind me  _ never _ to resist arrest from you, okay?" Nick said cradling his now throbbing head. "Gods woman, have you considered a career in some kind of sport? I feel like a truck just ran my head over, twice."

Judy's eyes widened with the realization of what she had done. 

"Oh, I'm sorry! Oh, dammit, Nick are you okay? Here, let me go get some ice... Ah!" Judy turned in place on the bed, bringing one of the sheets with her like a toga. Reaching the edge of the bed, she fell with unceremonious thud to the floor. 

Cold air rushed across Nick as the bed covers were taken with her in the fall. He took a quick breath as he sat up. His ears cocked forward, listening to the panting off the edge of the bed. 

"Judy, you alive down there?"

Two ears suddenly poked back up above the edge of the bed, swivelling left and right. Judy's mortified face followed, her chin pressed onto the edge of the naked bed top. 

"Nick? Where  _ are _ we? And where is my shirt!" Judy face twisted with confusion. A paw firmly held up the sheet around her neck. 

"Oooooh, no, you're not pinning that one on  _ me _ Carrots," Nick said pointed an accusing finger at her. "I left last night and you were perfectly decent. I asked you the same question, and you told me  _ not _ to ask questions. This isn't on me."

Judy's ears relaxed, her nose twitching away as she listened to him. Quickly she peeked under the bed finding her crumpled shirt and bra below. Nick rolled his eyes, and shifted over to retrieve the pill bottles. He greeted Judy as she pulled herself back up from the floor. He grinning with confidence. 

The grin faded as he saw the confusion still in her eyes, along with the unsettling tinge of pain. 

"You don't remember, do you?" He said cautiously. 

"No," she said shaking her head. 

He sighed and swung his legs around and over the edge of the bed. 

"We are at the Grey's cabin, off west of your family's farm. Bout, five, maybe six hours away?"

Her face burned with concentration. 

"I should have remembered that... Argh, where are my pills? My everything-"

"Hurts, yeah. Your medication is going to do that to you. Here," He handed her the morning dose. "You were a bit,  _ insistent _ last night. Said you just wanted to catch a good night's sleep. That's why I... Ended up here."

Judy panted slowly after finishing her drink. Pushing uselessly against the bed, she tried to lift herself back up. Nick reached down, plucking her up to sit next to him. 

"Ringing any bells?"

"A few..." She trailed off. "It's more like a dream then real though. I remember asking that, kind of. I do remember not sleeping well the first night. I kept waking up. I-I... Um, don't remember much from last night?"

Judy's paw came to a rest on his knee. 

"Thanks for not... Making this..."

"Awkward?" He asked. 

"Yeah."

"Not sure I can take credit there. I don't remember the last time someone was in that big a hurry to get out of my bed."

Nick brought a paw to the side of his face. It still pulsed angrily from her kick. She turned and smiled at him. 

"Oh, I'm sure most people would love to stay in bed with you." Judy said. There was a beat of pause, a moment of hesitation, before she realized the implications of what she had just said. "I mean, not that you sleep around, or... Yeah, okay, awkward."

"All aboard the M.S.S. Weirdo, bound for Awkward Land," said Nick with a slight chuckle. "Relax Fluff, I get what you meant."

Judy's gaze wandered off to the door of the room, her paws fiddled with the material of the sheet in her paws. 

"I'm... Not sure you do."

"Pardon?" Nick asked. 

"I don't think you get... It?"

"What's to get, you thought you insulted me, I don't feel you did. Debate  _ over _ ." 

Judy's head moved slowly back and forth. 

"It's not... No, not  _ that _ ..."

Nick's ears perked as he looked down at the small mammal just within arms reach next to him. 

"This wouldn't be in reference to what you wanted to talk about last night before you got all 'fuzzy', would it?"

Judy bit her lip, carefully nodding her head. The memories from their conversation came in sudden fragments. Her feelings were cloudy, unfocused. 

"Okay," Judy said taking a breath. She twisted herself, facing up towards Nick who leaned back to support himself on an arm, partially facing her. For a moment her eyes wandered to the rustled fur covering his chest. She snapped back to his face. 

"First of all, I wanted to thank you. I do remember not sleeping well, and last night was... Yeah, I was out. Thanks for that."

She took another deep breath. 

"I think I lied to you?" she said, an eye closing slightly. Recoiling from a potential outburst. 

Nick feigned offense at her. 

"Judy Hopps! How could you lie to me!?" Nick asked mockingly. "I thought bunnies didn't lie?" 

"Nick," Judy said, her face as serious as she could make it. 

"Right, ruining the moment," Nick said, before making a zipping motion across his lips. 

"Okay. Just, give me a second to word this... So I think I said something to you about why your shirt was off?"

"Something about this is just how it's done," Nick said nodding once. "You seemed rather insistent to not talk about it at the time."

"Well yeah, this is the thing. When you're a kit, yeah it's all well and normal. I'm sure you saw my family."

"It did kind of explain you're not running for the hills at the naturalist club," Nick replied, thinking back to their first case with a broad smirk. 

"That was a dirty trick," Judy glared. 

"How was that a dirty trick?  _ You _ wanted to know where that otter had gone, and that's where he went."

Judy brought a paw up to offer protest, but no words came. It fell to the bed with a flop. She shook her head and continued. 

"Well yeah, piling is a great way to sorta scratch that instinctual itch? It's warm and comforting. Like I am wired for it or something. But that isn't something I've really done in ages. You sorta grow out of sleeping next to family. I mean, it was kinda weird that my siblings didn't invade me when I was home..."

"Your dad talked to them," Nick explained. "Told them to give you space until you recovered from whatever had happened. Called a big family meeting and sorta laid down the law."

"Ah, that makes more sense," Judy fiddling again with her paws. "Well unless the younger kits pick you as their target, bunnies tend to stop that, as they grow up. We will do it if we are cold, or there just isn't room to find a private bed, but that sort of behavior stops being a familial thing..."

"So you hadn't done that in a while?"

"Nope," she replied. 

"Ah, that would explain the purring I guess. Missed it huh?" Nick asked innocently. 

Judy's eyes went wide, her face was mortified. Her paws stopped, snapping over her mouth. 

"Um, did I say something, wrong?" Nick asked hesitantly. 

Judy's head nervously shook 'No'. 

"What do you mean, would explain the 'purring', exactly?" Judy asked. 

Nick shrugged back at her. 

"What's the deal? You curling your back into me, and just kinda started purring. I thought you were just happy or whatever. To be totally honest, I didn't think bunnies did purr."

"It's umm. Yeah, not exactly something you talk about in polite company?" Judy offered with an unsure face. "I'm sorry, this is kinda weird for me. I  _ really _ don't remember doing that last night."

"Okay... So forgive the bluntness here Fluff, but what  _ does _ purring mean, Exactly?"

"This is not the direction this conversation was supposed to go..." Judy allowed herself to flop back onto the bed. "It's something bunnies do when they are... Safe. Comfortable. Um, happy."

Nick give her a disbelieving look over his shoulder. 

"Carrots, if you look up happy under the dictionary I think they just have a photo of you wearing a badge. I wouldn't surprised if Bogo gave bonuses out to anyone who could figure out how to make you have a  _ bad _ day. You exude happiness likes it's your primary national export. Never, in all my days have I met a more happy bunny, and yet never did I hear you purr before last night."

"Okay, that's not exactly fair," Judy said in an unsure tone. "How many bunnies do you know?"

Nick brought a paw to his chin. 

"Your family alone nets me three hundred. And what's the rabbit population of Zootopia? A few ten thousand?"

"Har-har, you know 'everyone'." Judy replied sarcastically. 

"It's true!" Nick replied. 

"Right. And besides, that's not the um... Yeah, different kind of 'happy'."

Nick's smirk vanished. Replaced with a blank glare. 

"No, if you were 'happy' I would have known," he said, tapping the side of his nose. 

"I cannot  _ believe _ we are having this talk..." Judy said, both paws covering her face. She sat up on her elbows, and looked at Nick. "Most rabbits in the city go on hormone suppressants."

"What? Why?" Nick asked brazenly. 

"Practicality!" Judy masked the heavy awkwardness of the conversation with a cheery voice. She shrugged. "Rabbits past puberty have three options. Find a mate, piss everyone off, or go on suppressants."

"Piss everyone off?" Nick asked. 

"Foxes have a season right?"

"What, like a some national awareness thing? No." Nick replied, finding the premise confusing. 

"No no no, I mean a mating season. Right?"

"Erh. I mean yeah. Don't all mammals?" Nick shifted uncomfortably. Horrible, uncomfortable memories of this same talk with his mother itched at his head. It was like his adulthood had been shot and replaced with something far more awkward. He did his best not to show it. 

"Nope. Bunnies are year rounders. How the hell do you suppose my parents had almost forty litters of kits?"

"Umm, they ate all their vegetables?"

Judy laughed at the premise. It was a sort of relief valve, distracting her from the conversation. 

"No. Like I told you, you get three choices to pick from. Mom and dad, they settled.  _ Hard _ . Right out of high-school. They started popping kits out and I guess just never stopped. More workers for the farm I guess. If you have someone in your life to... Enjoy, it doesn't really affect you so much. You know, takes the edge off. 

"Second option is more of the free living hippie types. They just let their bodies run rampant. Ever wanna piss of a group of cotton tails, just toss one into the mix who isn't under control."

Judy spread her paws out, drawing out like an explosion. Nick chuckled. 

"The majority of us single ladies go on suppressants. We don't... Work like a lot of other mammals. It takes only a few seconds to trigger us to be, umm, 'happy'," she said, quoting in the air with a single paw, before returning to leaning on both arms. "And as you might imagine, that just leads to all manner of problems. So the suppressants control that, keep our bodies in check. Let us focus on our jobs and not on some cute tail that just wondered on by."

Nick mulled away at what she said before asking. 

"But wait, you have been on the lamb for what, almost a month? What did you have them with you?"

She shook her head. 

"I do the shot, they hit you once a month. I was actually going do it the weekend I got back. Things went all haywire, and I never really worried about it just being around my family."

_ Right, not around anyone she would really want _ Nick filled in the gap he heard in her sentence. 

"And I guess drugged me was-"

"Acting a bit out of character?" Nick asked. 

Judy took a silent breath, placing her paws over her eyes. She could feel the first signs of the pain killing knocking at her concentration. 

_ This same damn shit every time anything like this comes up. _ Jud thought.  _ Every time we get anywhere sensitive he pulls this. You know?  _ **_Fuck it_ ** .

"Nick will you go out with me?"

Her mind raced, filling in all the potential catastrophes she had just invoked. Nick could say yes, and then she would have to panic about what they wouldn't actually do on a date, or when. Being in hiding sort of made that whole premise difficult. He could say nothing, that seemed more like him. Just be cold, stoic and force her to somehow fix and understand where she had screwed up. 

He could yell at her. It wouldn't be the first time they had come to verbal blows. Or, he could be simple and just say...

"No."

The word came from her mind it total synchronization with his voice. The word cut at her, deeper than she expected it would have. It came coupled with an odd sort of relief as well. Rejection was the easier path out, it let her move forward at least. 

"Right," She stated to the fill the silence. "It was a silly question, I'm sorry."

_ Smooth _ she thought.  _ Great recovery idiot. Stupid stupid stupid! _

"No," Nick spoke with the same inflection. 

"Okay, maybe not silly, but yeah sorry to put you on the spot. I shouldn't ask something like that when it's not really clear-"

"Judy, stop."

He turned to her, offering an upturned paw to her, half way between them on the bed. 

"Stop assuming you know what I want. You miss the target half the time, and we both end up annoyed. Don't assume asking me  _ anything _ is 'silly'. You are first, and foremost, my best friend. Friends don't attack each other for questions. Even a fox knows that," Nick said with a smirk at the racial jab. "And before you ask, because I see that look in your eye, I didn't say 'No' because I am rejecting you.  _ That _ is not what just happened.

"I said 'No' because you just asked me about dating, and you're high, on a drug that on a drug with a street value that I don't even wanna think about. You aren't you, you are apparently off of your hormone suppressants, and there is simply no way I am trusting anything that comes out of your mouth until you have a clear head."

Nick sighed. 

"I'm sorry Judy, but I really shouldn't have let last night happen. It was wrong, and inappropriate of me. We are going to have  _ that _ talk as well, once you're clean."

"When do I get off this stuff?" Judy asked, pointed at the orange bottles of pills. 

"Your last pill is going to be tomorrow, about midday. After that we just need to wait a bit and make sure your body comes back down from the fever."

"And then we can talk?"

"Yes," Nick replied.

"Promise?"

"On my honor as a fox," he said drawing an 'X' across his chest. "Come on. Let's go get some food in you."

Nick stood up, walking around the bed to the nightstand on Judy's side. Her shirt lay in a pile, having apparently been tossed against the wall. Opening it up, and holding it over her, her pulled it quickly down over her slim frame. Offering a paw, he helped her down from the bed, walking with her down the hall. 

"I'm not crippled you know, I can walk."

"Oh sure, and then you hit your head and we are hours from the nearest doctor that I will be able to reach. Nope, you're on sitting duty until we get you off that pain killer."

They reached the living space, and sat her down on the couch. Judy blinked out the window into the thick forest behind. Things had started to wobble again, ever so slightly. Even with the lower dose, it took hold. They chatted away with their cold food and metal bowls. Nick did his best to keep focus as Judy's mind wondered more and more. 

**8 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

"Nick, I can  _ smell _ myself, this is gross. I want a damn shower."

The day had blown past Nick. From the box of books, he he found an old journal. Some Grey from way back in the day. Before Zootopia had exploded into the ever expanding metro that he knew it as. The journal was stop gap, missing months on end, but fascinating to him. He quickly found himself unable to put the book down. 

Judy's continued complaining caused him to peek over the book at her. Her pain killers were still in full swing, but she seemed to have gotten better at seeing past the haze they created. Judy had gone from an easily distracted kit, to a damned annoying one.

"No," Nick replied flatly and returned to his book. 

Judy paws balled to fists, and pounded onto the small coffee table that sat between the 'L' the two couches formed. Nick held back a growl that fought to escape his throat. With conscious patience, he sat his book down on the table.

"I'll have you know, you are acting like a  _ bloody three year old pup! _ ," he barked out at her. 

Judy face hardened at the challenge. She showed no sign of acknowledging his scolding. 

"At least you can read! The words are all.. Nonsense, they have no meaning. It's like they are there, but then they aren't all the sudden. And the sentence gets lost..." Judy stopped her rant, her nose sniffing down at herself. "Nick, I think I can  _ smell _ myself..."

Nick fell back against the couch, a paw covering his forehead. 

"No wonder we used to eat rabbit," he said carefully under his breath. "Okay, listen. I think there was a metal folding chair down in the crawl space. If I get that, think you can at least sit on it while you wash?"

Judy looked at him, considering his words. 

"Only if I get to shower after," Judy said. 

Nick paused, and considered trying to ask what she had just meant. 

"Right," Nick replied and got up to fetch the chair. 

  
  


Her balance had been improving with exposure to her regimen of drugs. They had carefully walked her back and forth to the bathroom throughout the day several times. He almost trusted her not to need any help. Almost. 

Carrying a small flashlight, he quickly located the chair he had seen earlier. It was old, but in reasonable shape. Turning around, he swept the space one last time. Something caught his eye in the corner. A wooden stool. One built for pups. 

Glancing at the fox sized chair, Nick quickly discarded it and took the stool instead. A thump sounded on the floor boards above him, followed by an prolonged "Owe" from Judy. 

"Yup, there is a  _ very good _ reason we used to eat your Carrots," he said sarcastically and left the dark room. 

Circling back into the house he found Judy sitting on the floor in front of the couch, unsuccessfully attempting to remove her shirt. Nick left her to struggle. A minor petty revenge for having to put up with her behavior. Setting the stool down under the shower head, he looked up to see a small fitting and valve under it. 

His curiosity peaked, he searched through the room, quickly locating his prize. A small corrugated hose and sprayer sat under the sink. The hose had seen some use through its years, kinking easily in several places. Still, he attached it to the fitting to find it still worked fine. 

"Why the handicapable shower?" He wondered as he returned to search for Judy. 

She sat flat on her butt, arms now above her head as if to surrender. Her light shirt twisted awkwardly around her head. She seemed to have given up trying to free herself from it, and now simply breathed in and out, causing the fabric to pulse with her breath. 

"You know I can can hear you, right?" She asked in a harsh tongue. "I know you are standing there."

"Well, we know your illness hasn't burned out your hearing then," despite all the annoyances she had brought through the day Nick couldn't help but smile.

He took a moment to see where he needed to tug, and removed the shirt. Looking up him was a grin wider than Judy's face could hold. Nick gave her a concerned look. Dealing with the mood swings and unpredictable behavior was leaving him unsure of how to react to anything she did. 

Judy was able to mostly walk herself to the shower. Sitting her down, Nick excused himself before she could strip further. Retrieving his book, Nick sat himself leaning against the wall. He listened carefully for any sudden cracks or falls, but was given only the odd pattern of splashing water. 

Nick allowed his mind to fall back into the story. The Grey's had first moved to the Triburrow area some time ago. At first, as things were done with most families of the time period, they had simple home schooled their pups. As the changes to modern education took hold, schools began to pop up all over. 

Larger population centers had segregated school between the predator and prey populous, but the Triburrow region was simple to small, and poor to sustain two separate school systems. Simply put, they Grey's found themselves unwelcome to any school they attempted to get their pups into. Nick read the pages calmly, not allowing the rage to grow in his head. 

It was all the same. Even from decades into the past, nothing much really changed. Prey populations would simple always outpace the predator population. It was a biological certainty. The average fox family was around five, even a large one would be less than fifteen. Nick was not wholly sure that Judy's family was abnormal for the burrows. 

The shower cut out with a chirp. Nick returned his book to the couches, and waited for Judy to summon him in. Minutes slipped by, with no call. 

"Judy, you still alive in there?" Nick called. 

"Yeah," Judy replied. Her voice distracted, distant. 

"You decent?" 

"You can come in."

Nick looked at the door. She'd given him only a half answer. He rolled his eyes, and pressed the door open. 

She stood next to the toilet, wrapped up in a towel. Her paws held a small orange bottle that had her complete attention. Nick walked up behind her. 

"Trying to read the instructions?"

Judy shook her head slowly. 

"I think I want to throw the rest out," she said. Her head looked back and up to him. "I don't like that these things do."

"Take away the pain?"

"And take away  _ me _ for hours on end. I can... Remember bits and snippets of the day, but are disjoint. I don't understand them. We have some over the counter stuff, right?"

Nick nodded. Judy simply handed him the bottle. 

"Flush um," she said, taking hold of them hem of his shirt to steady herself. 

"You sure? You remember how bad things are without these, right?"

Her glare was confident. 

"Yes."

Nick opened the bottle. There were enough pills in it to last her another two days if they went to her full dosage.  _ She is going to regret this if we toss them all _ , he thought. Carefully, he pressed a finger into the bottle, quickly turned it, and allowed only a few to slip away into the water of the bowl. With a flush they were gone. He pocketed the bottle. 

_ Have to count those later _ . 

Judy wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. The damp towel soaked quickly into his pants and shirt. 

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Judy asked as they walked with careful steps. The last dose was still working fairly well in her system. "I liked it when you stayed with me."

"Not tonight," Nick replied with finality. He hoped to put the argument to rest before she could bring it up. 

"Oh. Okay," she said calmly. 

Getting the last medication of the night into her, Nick departed for his book. He left her with plenty of water and the over the counter pain medication they had. He kept awake as long as he could in the dim light. Mercifully, Judy seemed to sleep through the night just fine. 

**10 AM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

Nick crouched on all fours searching the floor under Judy's bed. He had been  _ sure _ that she should have had one more dose of the medication after taking her morning dose. 

"It's  _ fine _ Nick. Besides, the symptoms are mostly gone anyway," Judy groaned. 

"Your doctor was very insistent that you take the regimen, the  _ whole _ regimen. We should call him."

"If we call him, that's just another link for someone to follow to  _ us _ Nick. Let it go." Her voice was twisted, but not in pain. Not like she had been. The fever had dropped, the shakes were mostly gone. 

She had given him a stern half hour complaint about leaving her alone the previous night. Nick's attempts to defend himself had fallen on two floppy deaf ears. 

His head popped up above the edge of the bed, to Judy still wrapped in a blanket. 

"If you die, what do you think your father is going to do to me?"

"Wouldn't be the first time you delivered that news," She gave a half hearted smile. "Besides, I'm going to be  _ fine _ once this stuff works out of my system. When's the last time I forgot something?"

Nick's expression dropped like a stone. 

"You... You don't remember?"

There was a pause, then a pillow came flying from the far side of the bed. Whirling through the air like a throwing star, Nick only just moved out of the way. A breeze from it wifed off the fur on the sides of his cheek. 

"Hey! Watch it, if I get a head injury, who's gonna drive us home?!"

"You're too fast for that, we both know that," Judy laughed at him. A brief distraction from the burning in her head. "And besides, you incited the attack. Don't come crying when you get what you asked for."

"Like you giving up the last of your pain killers?" Nick asked, resting his elbows on the bed. 

"Have I asked about them at  _ all _ this morning?" Judy asked rhetorically. 

Nick's expression returned. 

"You don't remember?"

Another flew from the head of the bed, landing square in the fox's face. 

**6 PM, Unincorporated Triburrow County, Grey Family Cabin**

The day came and went slowly. Judy struggled against the trailing end of the treatment. With time, the pain had faded. By mid afternoon she was fully capable of walking again. Nick opened the door to the cabin, welcoming her back in from their short walk off into the woods. 

It had been a welcome distraction. The woods were nearly silent, save the far off drone of their generator. Judy had regaled him with more stories of her trip from the attack to the farm. Nick listened with interest, finally having a mentally competent mammal to talk with. 

The journal he had been reading had run out. They fox had talked about attending a town meeting, some vote about the schools. It was the last entry. Every remaining page had been blank. Nick had checked, twice. 

"Thanks for the walk Nick. That was... Nice," Judy said. 

"Eh? Don't mention it," Nick replied. He found himself distracted with preparing their meal for the evening. A special opaque bag had been left in the cooler, marked 'When Judy's better'. He opened it to find a set of various foods and instructions. He set about preparing it on the gas stove. 

"I'm still mad at you," Judy gave him a playful glare sitting at the kitchen table behind him. His head looked over his shoulder as he nursed the pan on the stove. Steam billowed from the frying vegetables. 

"Mad at  _ me _ ? What did I do!"

"You left me."

"Ohhh no, we are  _ not _ playing this game. I am not sleeping with some drugged up bunny, and there is not a damned thing you could have said to talk me out of that."

Judy watched him in silence as he finished cooking. They dug in as the outside world fell to darkness. 

"So why did you say no?" Judy asked. 

"Say no to what, the sleeping thing?"

"Yeah," she asked cheerfully. The food was a bit off, but it was the most substantial thing she had been able to get into herself all weekend. Judy took another bite as Nick looked on thoughtfully. 

"I... I didn't know what you might try if you were sleeping next to me. Your behavior was off the walls."

"Oh, come on. I wasn't  _ that bad _ ." 

Nick's eyes narrowed at her. 

"You ask me no less than  _ three _ times to come keep, and I quote here, 'the poor naked bun warm'."

It stopped her mid bite. Her eyes and nose danced as she tried to remember ever doing that. 

"Then there was something about starting a purr motor? I honestly gave up at that point. No sense trying to reason with that," Nick held his paws up in mock surrender. 

Judy's head snapped back down to her food. She could feel the heat from her ears back into the back of her head. She could fathom how she had been that brazen throughout the night. All she remembered was a lot of tossing and turning, escaping pool after pool of sweat we had awoken into. 

"So, I think we promised you a conversation at some point," Nick interrupted her train of thought. 

Memories flashed through her mind, trying to remember what the promise had been about. She had been coherent at the time, but the painkillers had obliterated most of the conversation. She had ask him something, but  _ what _ it was escaped her. 

"Last few days are a bit of a blur, care to fill me in on that promise?" Judy asked as nonchalantly as she could manage. 

"You asked me out," Nick said, leaning back in his chair. His eyes locked onto her face, taking it every detail he could read from her. 

Judy returned the favor, looking up at him. The stare bore between them for tense moments. She half expected punch line, a joke. Her memories betrayed the hope, remembering the sudden bust of a question. 

"So... I did. Yes, I remember asking you that," she answered finally. She looked back down to push a small piece of food around her plate. 

Dread raced around her mind. Nick was being it up so calmly, no positive inflection. Judy cursed her idiot drugged up self. All she had to do was shut her mouth, and ride things out. Everything could have taken a nice slow pace. No need for rushing, or rash decision making. 

"So how was it?" Nick asked. 

Judy's face didn't move, but her eyes gentled wondered up to meet his. 

_ There it is _ , she thought.  _ The smirk. His little way to escape this whole mess without having to put me down. He acknowledges it, and then just walks away. _

"It was pretty good. My mom cooks it a little less though."

Nick barked out a laugh. Judy's head cocked to the side, baffled in his response. 

"What? What's funny?"

"Oh, I could just imagine what was going through your head, that's all. 'Slick Nick' running away from another awkward conversation, or that this whole talk is a con or something."

Judy gave him an awkward grin. 

"It's... Not?"

His paws waved over the table. 

"What do you think all this was? Or the walk, or the hanging out with you all afternoon?"

The realization hit her slowly. His shirt was one of his favorites from the pack he had brought. She hadn't seen it until today. He had taken a shower just before they had left. The walk was slow, relaxing. He had walked just slightly closer to her than normal. Then there was this meal, cooked and prepared as if it was a show. 

_ Oh crackers _ , she thought to herself.  _ I'm an idiot _ . 

A corner of Nick's mouth cocked up into a witty smile. 

"Apparently it was a bit of a hustle to? Damn, I'm so good, I amaze myself!"

She rolled her eyes at him. She let the fork clang to the mostly empty plate. Judy did her best to put an upset look on her face. 

"It's  _ rude _ to take a lady on a date without asking Nicholas. I am pretty sure there is an abduction law about that."

"Oh," Nick placed a paw on his chest mockingly. "Well officer, I do apologize for the rudeness. I assure you none was intended."

They smiled, basking in the warmth of the situation. Judy pushed her plate way from her, unwilling to try to eat more. She looked at the couches, and back to Nick. She asked with a head nod towards them. 

Leaving the table dirtied, they sat down. Nick had expected her to cuddle up next to him, but instead found himself looking at an almost eye level face. She kneed on the cushion, a cautious smile on her face. 

"You promised me a conversation Nick, not a hustle."

He looked backed at the table. 

"Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission?" Nick didn't sound entirely sure of the statement. 

"What is that supposed to mean. Why didn't you just  _ ask _ me?"

"Never have," Nick shrugged. 

"But, the vixen. You dated for what, two years?"

"Sorta? Let's get the numbers straight, we dated for three years, not two. And... Well, it wasn't the kind of relationship where you really sat down and talked about anything. Everything happened on its own, and I was just along for the ride."

"And when things started to come off the rails..." Judy questioned. 

"We just watched it go," Nick finished the thought.

Nick relaxed as they talked, reclining into the seat. His vision wondered, looking for something to latch onto. Judy watched him intently. She curled herself up, hugging her knees. 

"So this will be kind of new to you then?" Judy asked, trying to offer a more comfortable topic. 

"I mean, we could just run things the Nick Wilde way. Let the wind blow us where it wants to, see what comes up next."

Judy gave him a confident smile. 

"Oh, you mean like when a certain bunny seduced you into sleeping with her?"

It caught Nick's attention, his head swiveling down to glare at her. 

"You say shit like that in front of your family, I'm going to be shot. Your dad will probably make a rug out of me." Nick paused, thinking back to the conversation Stu had cornered him for. He suspected he would survive just such a conversation, not that he wanted Judy to ever know that. "You were drugged to high heavens Judy. It just felt...  _ Wrong _ ."

Judy stretched herself out, placing her feet onto his lap one at a time. 

"You are a true gentlemen Mr. Wilde. A knight, unwilling to tarnish this pure... Well, this poor innocent girl."

The hitch brought a smirk to Nick's lips. He was sure it was a offering, a hook to fish questions from him. The fox never could resist a juicy story. Judy clearly knew this. 

"Don't feel comfortable calling yourself pure Fluff?"

She shrugged absently. 

"I  _ am _ a bunny. We aren't exactly known for being cold."

His memories surged with the sensations of their night together. Judy's body had been many things, cold was certainly not among them. Nick pressed on. 

"And by cold you mean..." Nick's voice trailed with the question. 

"Shy of intimacy," Judy said bluntly. Her eyes didn't flinch in the slightest, fixated on her partner. He was dead silent. She could feel him doing everything to keep composer. 

"Ah. So I guess what they say about bunnies isn't a total lie?"

"Well, I'm sure the stories get kinda out of control. There's a reason we number in the eighty million in Bunnyburrow alone. It's not like the whole town is one big party or anything. But you know, people get curious. They try things," Judy said. 

"And what has Judy 'tried' then?"

Judy smiled and giggled at him. 

"We are suddenly feeling brave Mr. Fox, five minutes ago you didn't even wanna ask me on a date. Now you wanna seem my little black book?"

"I told you, I go where things take me. I'm just following your lead here."

Judy's brow furrowed. 

"So what triggered you to be so bold back in the city?" She asked. 

"Eh?"

"Back in Zootopia. You didn't seem to really have trouble throwing this all in my face then. What changed, why so bashful here?"

The question caught Nick off guard. He leaned his head back to think. 

"I honestly... I don't know. Back then I was hurt, dejected. The fear of talking about everything wasn't as bad as the pain if ignoring it. Then you died, and then came back, and now... I don't know, this is just more  _ real _ . It felt easier to talk when in my mind I already knew you would reject me."

A foot jabbed into his side. Not enough to hurt, but it caught his attention. 

"I thought we talked about you not getting to say what I would and wouldn't do?" she said playfully. 

"What?" Nick asked. "I am just saying that's how I felt back then. It was weird. I wanted to ask, but I already knew that you would say no. It was like this safety net. Walking in I had already prepared myself for a 'No' from you, so there was no fear. No issues."

Judy's eyes looked upwards at nothing in particular. 

"And then you got a door frame to the face."

He laughed. 

"Yeah, that is something I really didn't expect."

"I really am sorry for that one. It wasn't okay."

"No," Nick said. "It wasn't. But it's also forgiven. Friends make mistakes. We screw up, and then the brush ourselves off and keep working at it. That being said, I would gladly just take a slap to the muzzle next time."

"Oh? Would you like that?" Judy asked playfully. 

His jawed opened, words formed, but nothing managed to work its way out of his mouth. Judy gave a quick bark of laughter. 

"Point!" she declared. 

"Yeah yeah, shock the poor tired fox. Not sure it's fair to beat up an opponent who has been on the ropes for days nursing  _ you _ back to health," Nick said. 

"Okay, that's fair. I really do appreciate that by the way." 

"Hmm?"

"Taking care of me. You did a good job, and you didn't need to do it. I appreciate that."

"I mean, I'm all for taking credit, but who else was going to get you out here? Your family is just a walking invitation for infection. I was the logical choice."

Judy leaned forward to place a paw on his arm. 

"Don't try to belittle yourself. Just take a compliment."

"Okay, fine fine, you're welcome," he replied sarcastically. Judy ceded to the sarcasm, leaning back down on the oversized couch. 

"So what should I expect anyway?" Nick asked. 

"Expect? From what?"

"You said you were coming off your suppressants?" 

Judy looked at him carefully, trying to measure how much she was willing to dump on him. Trying to understand if her sudden surge of confidence in this whole mess was worth the risks. 

Worlds away, the rest of the world churned away. Operations completed, missions were accomplished. An agent reported to his supervisor, all objectives satisfied. Days of work came to a close. Judy and Nick were cut from the world. No phone lines, no radios, just each other. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
